Shoji and the Field of Memories
by KcTakai
Summary: **Another pre-written, long-winded story!** Shoji is a Shadowhunter from the Tokyo Institute that is assigned, along with his parabatai Kevin, to a joint Downworld/Clave mission to investigate a dangerous convergence in Thailand. But as Sho unlocks the mysteries of the convergence, he also discovers the secrets of his family and just how powerful revenge can be. **All-ish OCs**
1. Chapter 1 - The Meeting (Part One)

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 1 - The Meeting (Part One)

(Alicante, Idris)

* * *

"I hate this part."

Shoji sighed as he loosened the leather straps across his chest. He brought around the twin scimitars still sheathed in their cross back holster and handed them to the guard. Beyond the man's shoulder, he could see the massive stone archway that beckoned the Clave's main hall. It gleamed and shone against the light streaming down from the skylights overhead.

He sighed again as the guard placed his blades alongside the other weapons on the heavy oak table. Shoji longed to hold their familiar weight in his hands. He would much rather be back at the Tokyo Institute in the training room with Kevin than here in this overly ornate edifice.

His parabatai, Kevin, stood behind him tall and cavalier, running his hand through his light brown hair falling around his head like a crown. His light eyes seemed gray in the daylight and he wore a beard short and trimmed precisely along his jawline. He smirked to himself and shrugged as he placed his broadsword on the table.

"You'll get used to it. Better to have everyone disarmed than go into a small room with everyone pointing sharp things at each other." He thanked the guards and moved on ahead of Sho towards the archway.

"Well, it isn't technically fair. If you think about it, the Shadowhunters are the only ones unarmed in there." Sho trudged on behind Kevin, clearly not pleased to be putting distance between himself and his trusted blades.

"See, this is why no one brings you to Clave meetings. You sulk and it brings the whole mood down. These can be such entertaining turnouts if you give them a chance!" Kevin maintained his confident air as his heavy boots sounded against the glossy tile floor.

They came to the tall stone arch and passed through, bore right and followed along behind a row of wooden benches. The room was circular, the center hosting three tiers ascending to metallic thrones on which the head Clave members sat. Surrounding the bottom tier were rows of benches that could seat a few hundred when larger assemblies were held.

Sho and Kevin walked along the back wall following the curve of the room until they were in the far back and standing below the prismatic stained-glass windows adorned with the Clave crest. They passed through another archway, this one flanked by heavy wooden doors with the crests of the Downworld burned into them.

The Downworld were all those magical and mythical beings that entertained dreams and nightmares alike. They had origins unknown, but an infamy that spread beyond languages and cultures. They were the cursed Night's Children (the vampires), the infected lycanthropes (the werewolves), the mystical Faerie and Unfaerie Courts (the faeries), and the half-breed Children of Lilith (the warlocks).

Often at war with one another, their tentative peace was normally short-lived and their relationship with the Shadowhunters was contentious at the best of times. Though presently it looked like the Downworld were in an uncharacteristically long golden age between themselves and their only remaining grudges were reserved for the Shadowhunters and the Clave that led them.

Sho scanned the room they entered with a trained eye. He noticed the only exit being the doorway they entered from, the circular layout of the room like the one before it, and the number of people in attendance.

He wasn't sure if _people_ was the correct term. Since this was an official meeting of the Clave and Downworld the room was rather diverse.

Sho recognized the other Shadowhunters of the Clave immediately. Besides Kevin and himself there were two others already seated at the large round table in the center of the room. They donned all black attire and had ink black runes scrawled on their arms and necks.

One of them Sho recognized as Consul Liam, the defunct leader of the Clave. He was the youngest appointed Consul ever chosen which made his name and face all the more recognizable. Having only held the position for a few short years, the young man looked understandably both uptight and appeasing.

That being said, he was a handsome man, his black hair cut short and neat and his clothes dark and tailored. He was slender, yet he held himself with confidence and appeared larger because of it.

Kevin and Sho were not themselves members of this special Counsel but were invited by Consul Liam himself, likely due to Kevin's relationship as nephew to the Inquisitor.

Walking around the table to join the other Shadowhunters, they passed the chittering laughter of the Faerie and Unfaerie court representatives. The faeries looked at them with gleaming eyes and radiant, crooked smiles. The air around them seemed to sparkle, like dust caught in sunlight, and Sho could smell earth and saltwater as he walked by.

"If it would please everyone, kindly be seated," Liam proclaimed to the room, taking a seat again as he gestured around the table. Sho and Kevin joined them, Kevin smiling at the dark-haired Shadowhunter to his right as he took his seat. Sho heard them share "hellos" but hadn't seen the woman before. Instead, he looked across the table as the other members took their seats.

"Typical. The bloodsuckers are late."

Sho recognized the man as Eric, pack leader to the San Francisco lycanthropes. Like most werewolves Sho had encountered, Eric had a certain ruggedness to him. His clothing was oversized and heavy, completely hiding the curiously strong body underneath. He wore glasses high on his nose and his brow was furrowed in agitation. He kept his gaze off the others in the room and leaned back into his chair, arms folded and clearly not pleased to be there.

"Eric, please," the lovely blonde woman next to him whispered under her breath.

Sho knew her as well. It was Tanya, leader of the Praetor Lupus and Eric' wife. The Praetor Lupus was a governing body of their own, though unlike the Clave they had only existed for a few hundred years. Tanya was their newest leader and well respected among the Downworld.

Overseeing the Praetor Lupus meant that she was ranked higher than any other werewolf and was responsible for the members that made up the Praetor forces. The soldiers protected fledgling Downworld who had yet to be found and eased into their new lives, such as new vampires and werewolves, or infant warlocks abandoned by their families. The soldiers were a mix of Downworld beings, though to Sho's knowledge they lacked any warlocks since they were fewer and often lived solitary and eremitic lives.

Tanya was quite pretty, her straight blonde hair cropped at the shoulder and her eyes clear and light. In contrast to her husband, she wore lighter color business attire and around her neck hung the gold emblem of the Praetor Lupus from a sturdy chain.

She smiled towards Eric and patted his arm. He visibly relaxed, his frown melting into a placated expression. Eric's attendance wasn't entirely necessary at these meetings, like Sho's, but Tanya wouldn't have come without him. Sho noticed the way they leaned toward each other and seemed to bring a warmth to the room. Even Sho could admit it was touching. He had to remind himself of the immense power they could render if needed.

"The Night's Children representative is coming, we have her assurance. Filly is on her way to portal them as we speak, they will be here shortly," Liam spoke precisely and with the seasoned approach of a politician.

"We are glad to see everyone could make it today. Kevin, Shoji, thank you for being here. How is the Tokyo Institute?"

"Sweltering. Tokyo summers are not very forgiving," Kevin responded honestly.

Sho nodded his agreement but said nothing. He wasn't yet sure of his place in the room and preferred to follow Kevin's lead and observe. He was proud that he had learned the valuable skill of reading the room before acting. It was something that Kevin often struggled with, being of a more headstrong temperament. The balance is what made them such excellent parabatai.

"You called this meeting rather quickly Liam," Kevin continued. "I hope there isn't some catastrophic event that needs our attention. I wore the wrong boots if there is."

"You have a pair of catastrophe boots? Do you pair them with your disaster socks?" The dark-haired woman beside Kevin chuckled to herself.

"Yes, thank you Min Hee, but there will be no need for costume changes today. I will inform everyone of the event at hand when all the parties are present," Liam gave a warning look towards Min Hee and she rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper something to Kevin. He laughed and elbowed her back, the two of them smiling fondly.

How did Kevin have a friend like this that Sho had never met?

Truthfully, she was quite striking. Dark wavy hair that hung to her shoulders and small but piercing eyes that he imagined would be uncomfortable to stare into for any extended period. It wasn't that she was off-putting, just that she didn't seem the type who could be trifled with.

Sho saw that Min Hee's upper arms were tight in their leather jacket and her shoulders were big and wide. That almost certainly meant she was adept at dual wielding like himself.

The faeries had taken their place next to Sho at the table. They sat softly, almost floating in their chairs. They had etched grins on their face and the one next to Sho had streaks of silver and violet in her styled brown hair. She also wore multiple piercings in her pointed ears and delicate stone rings on every long, taloned finger. She wasn't tall, but had a bright and spirited energy to her. Her clothes were long and flowed in navy blue waves over the arm of the chair onto the floor. There seemed to be incredibly thin cross sections of leaves and feathers woven into the delicate fabric.

"My name is Shakara. I'm pleased to meet you Shadowhunter," the faerie whispered toward Sho, her green eyes sparkling.

She tilted her small head and seemed to be sizing him up with her eyes. "You wouldn't happen to have any blood of the fair folk in your veins, would you? I sense an aura predisposed to righteous nobility. Or is that just your Nephilim nature?" Shakara giggled to herself and tossed back her hair with a wave of her decorated hand.

"Um," Sho began, "there's no faerie in my family that I know of. And I wouldn't say I'm predisposed to anything except perhaps stubbornness," he smiled and copied the faerie's movement, pushing his long dark hair onto his back. He wore his hair half up in a long ponytail and let the rest fall down around his shoulders. His cheekbones were high and his eyes and eyebrows pointed up and back giving his face a certain sharpness.

There could have been something faerie-like about him had he not the astringent characteristics and markings of a Shadowhunter.

"How disappointing" sighed Shakara, "your looks would suit the faerie court very finely young Shadowhunter," she flashed a set of very white and slightly pointed teeth at him and then leaned away to speak with her companion.

Sho sighed quietly and leaned back. He wasn't used to being in such close proximity to the fair folk. The way they chittered and flirted was hard to translate. And though it was impossible for them to tell a lie, they found more inventive ways to hide their truths. His short interaction with Shakara was the first time in years he had been spoken to by a faerie.

For all their beauty they were a little unnerving in his opinion.

Just then the wall behind Eric and Tanya began to flutter like ripples in water. It took on a purple sheen and sparkled brightly with what looked like small flakes of snow cascading down from the ceiling. It made a sound like the crackling of a fire and steam hissing from a kettle.

All eyes in the room turning to the portal as it opened. The space behind the shower of glitz and snow turned black and out of the darkness, Sho saw two figures walking towards them. They walked out from under the shower and into the room.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Meeting (Part Two)

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 2 - The Meeting (Part Two)

(Alicante, Idris)

During a meeting at the Clave headquarters in Idris, there is a new development that brings members of the Downworld and Nephilim together. Shoji and Kevin are in attendance and waiting to find out more.*

* * *

The first was a familiar face. Her name was Arisa, the official representative of the Night's Children to the Clave. A stunning beauty, and personal friend to the Tokyo Institute where Sho and Kevin lived. Her face was set in a serious expression that scanned the room with suspicion before relaxing into a composed and practiced demeanor.

" _Sumimasen_ everyone. You know how fickle portals can be."

Arisa smiled discreetly and Sho caught sight of the pointed tips of two fangs below her lip. Arisa was close to five hundred years old and her skin was cold looking and translucent. Her hair was pulled tightly back into a high bun and Sho could see blue veins exposed on her temples. She walked smoothly, as if floating on air, to the seat beside Tanya.

Her simple green dress clung to her body, exposing curves and lines that caused Sho to avert his eyes. He had known Arisa almost his whole life, and as he had gotten older his relationship to her had developed into a kind of admiration. Even now as she walked around her seat she flashed him a quick smile that made his gut feel weighted in the chair.

Then, a glimmer of gold caught his eye. The second figure was turned away from the table with arms raised up and moving clockwise, slowly, in a circle around the portal. Aurelian light was wrapped around the hands, creating a brilliant ring that seemed to push the portal back into the wall. With a final flourish, the figure rested their hands at their side and turned to face the room.

The first things Sho noticed were the large curved ram horns that mirrored the curve of her ears. They were an ivory color and seemed to have been dipped in gold at the rounded tips, adorned with rings and thin chains. Golden blond hair spilled in waves around her head past her shoulders and Sho saw luminous blue eyes stare back at him.

This had to be the warlock that they had been waiting for. She stood very tall, almost a head higher than himself, and wore a flowy top and light washed jeans. She smiled widely to the room, gently rubbing her hands against her hips as if she could wipe away the magic they had produced.

"I'm so sorry Liam! There were…complications getting here. I hope you all weren't waiting too long," Sho liked her voice, it was soft and sweet. He was surprised he hadn't seen or heard of her before. He was certain that if he had he would have remembered her.

Standing so tall and with horns like that it would truly be impossible not to.

Kevin elbowed him gently and grinned. "Impressive, huh?"

Sho broke his gaze and discreetly tightened his grip on the arms of the chair.

"It's fine, Filly. We're glad you could bring Arisa with you. I would like to get started though if you wouldn't mind taking your place at the table," Liam smiled courteously and Filly nodded, (in a very Japanese fashion Sho noticed) before turning and circling the table to her seat beside Arisa.

The vampire smiled to herself as Filly sat beside her and then all members and non-members alike gazed up at Liam. The air in the room still smelled burnt from the spectacle of magic.

"We've received intelligence there is a new convergence that could tear an opening to the demon realm," Liam's said gravely. "It was discovered by our Shadowhunters at the Bangkok Institute. Unfortunately, they were unable to join us today because of high demonic activity that corresponds with the Phi Ta Khon festival in the northern part of the country."

Liam glanced around the room to gauge their reactions. Everyone was still predictably unreadable.

"The Clave has received their report and studied its legitimacy. The findings are potentially concerning."

"Concerning? Since when is demonic activity spoken of with such restraint?" Arisa scowled at Liam. She didn't move an inch but her words were cold and accusatory. "We know you're taking this seriously Nephilim. To call in Downworld representatives of the surrounding region is no small thing."

Liam kept steady eye contact with Arisa as he took his seat again. He pressed his palms to the edge of the table and continued as if uninterrupted.

"Min Hee, if you would explain the report."

Min Hee gazed sideways at Liam while standing at her seat. She held a few pieces of parchment in her hands. Sho could see a watermark of the Clave crest on the pages. She looked them over briefly before setting them back down on the table and huffing loudly, crossing her hands over her chest.

"The reports from Damyun and Arabella indicate that frequent missions were sanctioned on behalf of the Bangkok Institute to areas bordering Laos. There seem to be nests of shax and ravenor demons scattered around the zone. They were rooted out and dispensed with, only to be replenished and in greater numbers not long afterward."

Min Hee scanned the room and kept an uncomfortably long gaze with Arisa. "The Institute also mentioned there were vampires present during the fighting. As there were no survivors to question, we don't yet know the extent of their involvement."

All members turned to face Arisa, who had visibly tightened. Her shoulders were raised slightly and Sho noticed the veins on her face and neck were more visible. That was a telltale sign of hunger in a vampire. He wondered how long it had been since she fed.

"What exactly is the Clave accusing the Night's Children of?" She managed to keep her face composed and spoke carefully. Her hands remained folded on her lap under the table.

It was Liam who answered, motioning for Min Hee to sit back down. She obeyed, exchanging a wary look with Kevin.

"The Clave doesn't yet assume that the Night's Children have anything to do with the demonic activity. They could have simply been caught up in the fighting or perhaps were fledglings yet to be taken into the care of the local clan."

He turned to Tanya and Eric. "The Praetor hasn't heard anything from scouts in the area?"

Tanya shook her head, defeated. "I wish we had some news to share. Our scouts have been caught up with a resurgence of fledgling vampire and werewolf kin in the Middle East. Our sources are stretched thinner than normal while we look after them. We haven't been able to dedicate a force to Southeast Asia for some time now."

She looked at Liam and the others. "It is possible that these are fledgling vampires but since the clans of that area have all but died out in the last few decades, I think it's unlikely." Eric watched his wife as she spoke and nodded in agreement.

Sho furrowed his brow. The presence of demons would indicate there was a new convergence in the area to be sure. The strength of which would determine how likely it was that a tear could be opened to the demon realms. There hadn't been a tear to the other side in over half a century, and even then it had been a small rip and the Shadowhunter had been able to contain the demons long enough for warlocks loyal to the Clave to repair it. If this portal grew as large as the reports suggested, they would need a lot of help.

Sho could see the need for all the Downworld to be involved.

"How strong is this convergence?" Sho asked aloud, finding his voice.

"That's what we need to find out. I'm requesting the Clave approve a joint mission of the Downworld and Nephilim to survey the area and see just how close we are to a tear."

Liam looked around the table. "This is a voluntary mission, but we will require at least one representative from each family of the Downworld. But as a gesture of good faith and in accordance with our celestial decree, the Clave will send two Shadowhunters with the party. Of course, more can be assigned if the need arises."

"Well, we picked the right meeting to attend huh, Sho?" Kevin smiled eagerly at his parabatai and Sho could see the glimmer of excitement in his eyes. He felt the same joy rising in him, the pressing expectation of a coming battle and he yearned for his scimitars.

"I take it the members in attendance are your preferred champions for this adventure?" Shakara asked in her curious little voice.

"Filly has already volunteered her services on behalf of Lilith's Children," Liam nodded towards the horned warlock who smiled gently back, "her powers are more than sufficient for the tasks that lie ahead. The rest of you, yes, were selected by Min Hee to ally."

"Well, the fair folk would never shy away from an opportunity to bring glory to the courts. I would like to offer my...ministrations to this gathering. It does sound devastatingly curious!" Shakara raised her chin to look around the room, proud to offer her abilities, it seemed to Sho, regardless of the honor it would bring her Faerie Court.

"Yes, thank you Shakara. The Clave is pleased the fair folk will be joining us," Liam smiled sweetly at Shakara who giggled and tossed her head in a pleasant manner. Sho could smell roses coming off her and she winked at the Consul.

"My obligations to the Praetor make it difficult to be absent for too long," Tanya frowned.

"So of course, I will be going in her stead," Eric finished. He leaned forward placing both forearms on the table, "The alliance between the Shadowhunters and werewolves is now an uncontested friendship and I shall do my best to keep it that way."

He grinned and struck his fist across his chest. Across the table Kevin and Sho answered with the same gesture, their hands making hard thumping sounds against their gear.

"Tarzan and company," Min Hee groaned, rolling her eyes.

Liam looked over to Arisa who was watching the discussion through narrowed eyes.

"I know the death of vampires at the hands of the Shadowhunters does not make this decision easy for you, Arisa," he paused, "but the Clave will do all within its power to see that any vampires that become involved will be treated with respect."

Arisa scoffed and slowly rose to her feet. "If the Clave were at all interested in the lives of the Night's Children they wouldn't have slaughtered them among the damned and infernal," she spat the words with a harshness Sho had never seen from her. She was normally so composed; it unnerved him to see her this way. He could see her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"It's apparent that the Nephilim will need to be watched closely on this venture so I will take part. But this doesn't undo what has been done, Liam."

Arisa turned from her seat and walked deliberately to where she had entered through the portal. Filly stood quickly and rushed over to her, her hands glowing with a golden fire as she moved and the portal began to form.

The room watched in silence as Filly turned her arms in a high arch, leaving trails of gold. The portal hissed and popped as it took shape and the shower of dazzling snow began to fall. Before anyone could say anything else, Arisa had disappeared into the blackness.


	3. Chapter 3 - Parabatai Impressions

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 3 - Impressions

(Kichijoki, Tokyo)

* * *

Back at the Tokyo Institute, Sho stood in the middle of his bedroom, surrounded by walls decorated with various swords and pieces of armory. His own twin scimitars were hanging from a peg by the door. Framed pages of old texts hung on the wall above his bed in a mosaic. There were excerpts from his favorite novels and manga, some calligraphy, and quotes that gave him strength and comfort. Some of them had been gifts from Kevin and even one from Arisa when he was a child.

Rest sounded preferable at the moment but Sho was on his way to meet Kevin at the izakaya (pub) down the street. He flung his training boots on the floor at the end of the futon and pulled his heavy sparring shirt up over his head. With all his gear now resting in a heap he rummaged through the other clothes scattered on the floor and pulled on a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt.

He ran a thoughtful hand over the fading black runes tattooed on his arms. He knew activating an glamor rune meant he wouldn't have to worry about ordinary mundanes seeing the strange strands of tattoos; which was particularly important in a country like Japan with staunch opinions on body ink.

On his shoulder he wore his parabatai rune that tied him to Kevin. Unlike other runes that would fade with time, his parabatai rune would be with him until one of the two had died. Whatever strength they had on their own, it was inexplicably increased when they became parabatai.

Sho recalled the ceremony in the City of Bones when Brother Alexander weaved their bond into existence. They were only twelve at the time. Sho had been intimidated by the hulking Silent Brothers with their long black robes and hollow faces. They reminded him of the dead.

The City of Bones was dark and cold. If he hadn't had Kevin there he would have been truly frightened, but they had shared a connection from the first day they met and had always been stronger together, parabatai rune or not. He remembered Kevin's dauntless expression and his own fierce strength flowing through them both as the bond was sealed. That first time they drew the parabatai rune on each other was momentous. It had burned deep into their flesh and minds. What they represented to each other since then was more akin to brothers than friends.

They would need each other's strength for this mission, he thought. They were almost guaranteed to encounter demons and he hoped there wouldn't be a need to fight vampires. The Downworld had been doing so well cohabiting with the Shadowhunters, and vise verse. The last thing they needed was for one of the groups to have a reason to distrust the other.

Arisa's visible agitation had sent warning signs to the Clave and had troubled Sho personally. He hated to see her so upset. The vampires were her people, whether they were of her own clan or not. Her leadership had always extended beyond the city limits of Tokyo.

Shoji slipped a pair of throwing knives into the guard around his waist. Never knowing what they could encounter, Shadowhunter were encouraged to carry weapons at all times when outside the Institute walls. Every Shadowhunter had a preferred weapon but they were trained to use various types. Blades were the most useful for fighting demons; particularly those that carried magical properties. Sho's own scimitars were enchanted as well as Kevin's broadsword.

Feeling well armed Sho left his bedroom, sliding the paper door closed with a light tap.

The Tokyo Institute was a relic of a time before modernity had swept over Japan after the second World War. Looking to any human like a dilapidated apartment building, behind the strong glamor and magical protections the actual structure was a small castle. It was two stories tall, wide at the base and narrow on top.

It was small compared to other Institutes and only housed a few Shadowhunters. As Sho hurried down the second-floor hall, the wooden floors reflected the dim lamplight giving every surface a mirror-like sheen. His socks skid along the floor as his hair blew off his shoulders. Grabbing hold of the banister railing he rounded the turn and started down the main staircase to the foyer.

The entrance to the Institute was wide, expanding the entire first floor and beyond to the patio, outdoor training grounds, and garden. Due to protections put up by warlocks over a thousand years ago, the Institute had no need for high walls, so the first floor remained open to the outdoors. Support beams were scattered structurally in the expansive hall and there was little to see besides the occasional bench or potted plant.

Sho veered right and continued to skate across the darkened floors of the dimly lit space. It was late evening and the scarcest bit of daylight was grasping at the edges of the room. Sho could only hear the shuffle of his feet on the floor and the soft knocking of the shishi odoshi out in the garden. The heavy wood beams faded around him as he hurried to the edge of the room. He slipped on some geta, grabbed a clear umbrella from the wire stand, and stumbled out into the night.

The izakaya where he was meeting Kevin was only a few hundred yards down the street. The outside lamp was on and small twinkling Christmas lights lined the door frame. Sho slid the door open and let himself in.

The interior was hot and busy, wait staff scuffling around the open space carrying steaming dishes and trays in their matching navy-blue uniforms. Guests were sitting at low tables, mostly business types with their shirts unbuttoned at the neck and using handkerchiefs to dab the sweat from their brows. Sho slipped off his geta and passed unnoticed through the room to the staircase beside the kitchen entrance. He hurried up the steps two at a time until he reached the room on the second floor. It was smaller and more westernized, and he could see Kevin waiting at a small table by the window overlooking the street. He waved, knowing by instinct that Sho had arrived. Sho waved back and went over to join him.

"I got us a bottle to share," Kevin explained, pushing a tall thin glass of beer across the table, "and I ordered tons of yakitori and tsukemono to get us started. I'm starving. And it's hot as hell in here."

"Hey thanks," Sho answered taking a swig of the cool beer and wiping the foam from his lip. The electric fan in the corner of the room rattled and made worthless passes to keep them cool.

"So, I feel like I owe you an apology. I didn't expect the first Clave meeting I dragged you to would end up with both of us being volunteered for an international portal-closing-party," Kevin's eyes gave away his excitement. He crossed his arms and rested them on the table looking earnestly at Sho.

"Hey, you weren't wrong. It was an interesting experience," Shoji shrugged, "I'm just worried about Arisa. I don't think either of us have ever seen her so flustered before. She's really worked up over the Shadowhunters taking out vampires."

Kevin let out a long slow breath and leaned back in his chair. "Well, we've also never really spoken to her about her clan or her role as a Counsel rep. I'm sure she feels responsible if vampires are killed under her charge, accident or not. I'm just hoping we won't run into anymore fledglings while we're over there. I don't want to have to kill them in front of her, ya know?"

"I know, but we must follow our mandate. We're Nephelim and we can't let our individual feelings get in the way." Sho spoke into his glass as he took another drink. Even he didn't entirely believe the words, though they were practiced and recited more times than he could remember. They were trained to act first, feel later, but he didn't know how many actually managed to pull that off.

"We have to be ready for anything, Kev."

"I know. You're right," Kevin frowned.

A cute waitress approached the table with a shy greeting and delivered their food. She smiled bashfully at Kevin, who seemed oblivious to her attention in the presence of steaming food. The men mumbled their thanks and started eating with a growing ferocity. From downstairs, they could hear the soft melody of an enka song trying to make itself heard through the shouting and laughter of the other patrons. The fan in the corner continued to oscillate with incessant little ticks.

They managed to finish the meal with only a pile of pointed bamboo sticks and tiny empty dishes left in the wake. Kevin downed the last of his beer in one gulp and made a loud, satisfying sound. He leaned back and ran his hands through his wavy hair streaked with sweat.

Out the window Sho could see the narrow street had started to sparkle with light as it rained. It dripped off the dozens of electric cables that criss-crossed between the buildings and gathered in small pools worn into the cobblestone.

"So, when do we leave?" Sho asked, still looking out the window.

Kevin followed his gaze and stared blankly ahead, "Takuya handed me orders just after we got back. We'll be meeting at Filly's place the day after tomorrow to transit to the Bangkok Institute. Arisa will be joining us. We'll meet the rest of the group in Thailand. I guess Eric insisted on flying over."

Sho smiled at that. "Eric will do anything he can to keep pretending he's mundane." He glanced at Kevin for a moment and then purposefully stared at the rain streaked window.

"So, the warlock Filly; she lives around here? In the city?"

Kevin didn't seem to notice the thinly veiled wavering in Sho's voice. "Not here in Kichijoji, no. But she lives over in Daikanyama, close to the big Tsutaya that's there."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a brown leather wallet. He lazily pulled out a few thousand yen and left it on the table while reading the receipt. "Apparently it's a nice place. You know what that area is like, and warlocks are never short on cash that I've seen."

"Yeah." Sho kept his gaze on the street below. People were shaded by their umbrellas, like colorful leaves floating down a dark stream.

He didn't see Kevin smiling at him playfully. "What did you think of our warlock companion? Those horns were pretty badass. You should have seen your face. If your eyebrows had raised any higher they would have fallen off the back of your head."

Sho groaned and reached for his umbrella.

"She was tall. And blonde. You don't see too many of those wandering around Tokyo."

Kevin shrugged satirically and got up from the table, understanding the topic wasn't going any further. Together they hurried down the stairs and left the building, the sounds of boisterous laughter and clinking glasses fading into the light patter of rain around them.


	4. Chapter 4 - Leaving Tokyo

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 4 - Leaving Tokyo

(Kichijoji/Daikanyama, Tokyo)

* * *

The Institute was blazing with light the morning they were meant to leave. The window shutters had been thrown open and sunlight heated large square patches on the floor.

Outside in the garden, Kevin and Sho had collected their belongings. They had just one satchel each, plus their weapons, and stood on the raised stones of the pathway waiting for the final word to go. They weren't dressed in gear, but the weapons at their feet gave them a severe look.

Passing through the overgrown weeds the Institute's resident cat, Terrance, slinked by completely ignoring them. She yawned, feigning disinterest, and jumped to perch on the edge of a cauldron with orange koi swirling inside.

Takuya, the head of the Tokyo Institute, was walking towards them through the main hall. He was spinning a keychain on his finger and whistling lightly to himself. He wore long grey shorts with an untucked button-down and baseball cap resting lightly on the back of his head.

Takuya had cared for the boys and trained them since they came over to Japan together when they were ten. To anyone else, he always looked the part of a businessman on holiday but the young men knew that he was capable of separating a demon's head from its shoulders with a spinning back kick.

" _Yosh_! Everyone ready?" he spoke in a lighthearted tone and grinned widely. "Grab your bags and follow me to the van. It'll take about forty minutes to get there."

Sho and Kevin quickly nabbed their things and hurried after Takuya to the garage. Once settled in the van they took off down the empty street with the Institute dissolving into a destitute building behind them.

Forty minutes later the van was moving through Daikanyama traffic at a slow pace. Kevin and Sho stared out the windows like tourists taking in the sights. On a hot summer morning like this one people were drawn indoors and the tiny outdoor cafe tables were unoccupied.

Carefully preened plants were shining bright hues of green outside the chic little boutiques. Couples dressed to impress walked hand in hand down the narrow streets and older ladies carried Victorian style parasols to protect their faces from the harsh sunlight. Young parents guided laughing, wobbly children into clothing stores and markets.

Sho couldn't imagine a life among them. A life dedicated to protecting them, but not one where he could really live and come to understand them. He knew the back streets; the gritty parts of the city where evil would hide. He knew how to maneuver through a crowd without being seen and discreetly end conflicts with surrounding humans being none the wiser.

He was a world apart. Their smiling faces and casual demeanors were only a byproduct of the work that he and the rest of the Shadowhunters performed; their lives free from the burden of demons and other terrors that lurked in the darkness.

As the van slowed at a stop sign Sho saw a young boy sitting on the curb, crying into balled up fists pressed to his eyes. The boy raised his head to the van as it slowly moved by. Though the glass was tinted, Sho could feel the child's eyes upon him.

The boy stopped crying and looked at him with a clarity that made Sho feel a pit in his stomach. A woman came up behind the boy and lightly grabbed his arm, guiding him to his feet. She turned him around to face her and Sho could see her kind eyes fall with sympathy and the motion of her hands gently sweeping the tear stains from her son's face.

Sho looked away, the pit in his stomach growing too heavy to ignore and the absurd welling in his eyes clouding his vision.

A world apart. Serve and protect. Those words brought him back to reality.

The van was coming to a stop off the main road on a one-way street. The building to their right was a Japanese mansion, clean white with metallic accents and a heavily secured set of front doors. A small modern water fountain was set just outside serving no purpose other than to add to the affluent air of the place.

" _Ehh, righto_ , this is it," Takuya chimed. He turned around in the driver's seat to face Sho and Kevin in the back. "You have what you need. Have the warlock send a fire message if you need to reach us. Other than that, don't contact me. I'll be fishing." He grinned so widely his eyes closed completely.

" _Yokkai_ big boss!" Kevin shouted happily. He grabbed his bag and slid the door open, jumping out into street. Takuya stared at Sho a moment longer with his expression having grown more serious.

"You know Sho- _kun_ , it may be in your blood but it doesn't have to be home. Remember that, _ne_?"

Sho blinked and opened his mouth to ask what Takuya meant but before he could say anything Kevin was knocking aggressively on his window, apparently eager to get a move on. Takuya had already turned back around, both hands resting on the steering wheel.

Sho hesitated for a moment and then picked up his bag and left the van.

Kevin was there waiting, looking up at the mansion with a growing interest. Sho walked up and they could hear the van heading quietly down the street out of sight behind them.

"Can't say I've ever been in a warlock's place before, especially not someplace like this. I bet she's got the penthouse suite up top, whatcha think?" Kevin had his hands placed confidently on his hips.

Sho started forward and was surprised to see the first set of double doors sliding open for them. "Let's just head up there and see for ourselves. We're running late as it is."

"It's a Shadowhunter prerogative. When you're ordained to save the world you're allowed to be a little late to things."

As usual Kevin's cheery demeanor wasn't going to be sullied by the seriousness of an important mission. Sho supposed he needed that kind of energy in his life to balance his mind that was constantly overthinking and overanalyzing everything.

Walking up to the intercom Kevin pushed the call button and then punched in the apartment number from the menu on an adjoining plaque. The name ' _Filly A_.' was listed on top. The intercom made a simple, quiet ringing sound for a few seconds and then clicked as the call was answered.

" _Hai_?" a familiar sing-song voice answered from the other line.

"Did you order two devilishly handsome Shadowhunters to accompany you on a quest madam?" Kevin gave Sho a side smile. Sho rolled his eyes.

There was laughter on the other end of the line, like the twinkling of piano keys. "Come on up boys," and then the second set of glass doors slid open soundlessly.

"Pfft, 'boys' she calls us. The ageism of immortals." Kevin strode ahead leaving Sho to shake his head in amusement and follow along behind.

The apartment was indeed the most luxurious either of them had ever been in. The entire wall opposite the foyer was a single glass pane that was split down the middle with heavy, cream-colored curtains. The view looked out on the city which was grey and tan under the hazy summer sky.

The large sitting room was minimally decorated with all white furnishings and a plush shag carpet the color of slate. There was a wall crammed with all kinds of books of various sizes and shapes and scattered with worldly artifacts.

The kitchen was open to the rest of the room and Sho saw stainless steel pots and pans hanging from hooks that suspended over the island. There were three other doors he could see from the main room but they were all closed. A small _kodama_ plush toy hung from the handle of one of the doors.

The warlock, Filly, stood by the wall of books barefoot and was wearing a simple lilac colored smock and gold belt that brought out the shine in her long hair. Sho noticed her horns were missing, purposefully hidden with strong magic. It was probably to prevent any wandering eyes from the adjacent apartments from seeing the trait of her demonic heritage.

She looked entirely human to Sho, though still a little out of place standing so tall in an apartment more suited to Japanese tenants.

"Thanks for meeting here. It's much easier to set up a portal from a place I've already made one." Filly smiled and extended her arm to the large U-shaped sofa, "Can I get you a drink?"

Kevin dropped his bag and longsword by the door and slipped off his sneakers. He skidded across the floor in his socks and dropped himself unceremoniously on the leather sofa, laid out like a starfish.

"I'm good, thanks. I'm just going to sit back and take this all in. Wow, Sho! She's got, like, ten different remotes!" he leaned over the coffee table picking up and assessing each controller with emphatic interest.

Filly was smiling wide. "One of them will get the TV to rise out the floor if you can figure it out," she raised her hands in a _just saying_ sort of gesture and walked over to the kitchen, grabbing herself a glass of water. She pointed to the sink and looked at Sho.

"Sure, thank you," Sho answered, smiling as his parabatai struggled to turn off all the lights he had accidentally turned on.

Filly walked over to him and handed him the water. They clinked glasses and glanced at each other as they took a sip. She had wonderful blue eyes, the color of a shallow ocean beach. He noticed her head seemed slimmer without the large curved horns hugging either side.

She caught him staring and made a lovely little squeak, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I know, I catch myself in the mirror sometimes and don't recognize myself without them." She patted her head lightly where the ram horn would have been. Sho saw a glimmer as she pulled her hand away from her hair.

"They're awful impressive," said Sho.

"Thanks. I hate hiding them, but I think the little old couple that lives across the street bought themselves a telescope to spy on me, not to go stargazing," Filly laughed matter-of-factly.

"Yikes. That's a bit much."

"I know, right? How's a warlock supposed to get any privacy around her-"

Before Filly could finish the room was suddenly jolted with sound. A classical allegro piece was blaring from the modern record player against the wall. It made the floor shake and all eyes turned to Kevin holding three remotes in his hands looking helpless and embarrassed.

Filly threw her head back and laughed out loud. She waved her hand dismissively and the song suddenly lowered down to a whisper. Kevin relaxed back in his seat, visibly relieved.

"My bad," he said with a shy smile.

" _Mm, daijoubu_. It's fine," Filly turned and took another sip of her water. As she did she lifted her other hand gently and a large, rectangular section of floor rose to reveal a flat-screen TV.

"Hella _kakkoii_ ," Kevin breathed, impressed.

They all turned as the door beside the kitchen clicked open and the kodama plush toy jingled like a baby rattle. Filly swiftly snapped her fingers, making her water glass disappear in a small puff of white smoke. Then she wiped her other hand back and forth making the curtains on the far wall close hastily.

For a moment there was darkness. Filly twisted her wrist slowly, as if holding a dial, and the lights slowly came on as Arisa made her way out of the doorway. She had her hands behind her head fastening a necklace and looked around the room with her dark, expressive eyes.

" _Ano ne_ , Rachmaninoff's piano concerto No.2 isn't the best composition to wake up to I must say," she said in her high, silky voice. She pulled her long black hair out from under the necklace, letting it settle over one shoulder.

Considering she had been sleeping Sho thought her getup was pretty dazzling. She wore a burgundy taffeta skirt with a black, fitted shirt tucked in with heavy looking bangles around her wrists. She looked ready for a night out in Ginza among the fashionable elite, not a trip to the sweaty south of Thailand.

"That was my fault," Kevin apologized standing to face Arisa and bowing his head slightly. " _Gomen_ , sorry to wake you _Nee-san_."

"Oh Kevin, that's alright. I believe we are meant to be leaving soon, _desho ne_?" She inclined her head to the side while resting her hands in front of her in a ladylike fashion, "Filly, are we ready?"

Filly stood up straighter and nodded tightly. "Yep! Let's get going everyone."

She gazed over at Sho and vanished the glass from his hand as she had done with her own. Sho felt its weight leave his hand and warm air filled the space. She then moved over to face the sofa and with another snap the coffee table vanished and in its place the air started to ripple and wave like it had done in the Council meeting room.

The group grabbed their things, Arisa holding a vintage black suitcase in either hand. She refused politely when Sho asked to carry them for her. Kevin had slipped his shoes back on and Filly suddenly had shiny gold flats appear on her feet.

The only one without a bag was Filly but Sho didn't ask why. She was waving her hands in a high arch and golden light had encircled her arms. When she finally rested them at her side Sho saw her horns had returned, all shining with golden rings and chains. The snowy particles were falling from somewhere in the ceiling and the portal stood, dark and swirling, ahead of them.

Filly stepped back and motioned for the group to go on ahead. Kevin moved first, disappearing into the darkness with Arisa just behind. Sho looked at Filly once more; she was smiling encouragingly at him. Then he stepped through the shower of sparkles into the void.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Bangkok Institute

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 5 - The Bangkok Institute

(Nakhon Pathom, Thailand)

* * *

The Bangkok Institute wasn't actually located in Bangkok province. It lay west, in Nakhon Pathom province, beside the Tha Chin river.

The area was very rural; with most of the riverside dedicated to farmland and small villages of ten or twenty families. But the Institute was up the river, close to where the market was held so the town was a bit more sprawling. The Bangkok suburbs lay only a thirty-minute car ride away.

Like its sister Institute in Tokyo, it was veiled heavily with ancient spells that gave it the visage of a small abandoned building. Underneath the glamor, the real Institute rose high in the air as a pagoda. A long, white staircase led up to the main building, which itself was three stories tall. The structure was a rusty yellow-orange like other structures of the Dvaravati period and could house around thirty Shadowhunters with room for guests and staff. Around the outside, there was a sprawling garden with a long green slope that went down to the river's edge.

When Shoji's group arrived it was early evening. Filly had brought them right up to the main staircase and Sho saw the sky was a dazzling ombre of purple and orange as he exited the portal. Kevin and Arisa were standing ahead of him, surrounded by endless golden fields and over his shoulder was the twinkling water of the Tha Chin.

At the foot of the white staircase there stood two Shadowhunters. Sho recognized the leader of the Institute, Damyun, with his cropped black hair and dark _sador_ pants with his T-shirt. He had fresh runes on his arms and neck that suggested he was ready for a fight at a moment's notice.

He had an unreadable expression on his face, sharp with shadows.

Beside him stood a woman slightly taller. Her hair was neatly pulled back in Dutch braids, and wore loosely fitted khaki pants and a pressed white button-down shirt. In contrast to Damyun she wore a friendly inviting smile that would put the grumpiest person at ease. Her eyes were big and round and Sho could see the outline of runes through her thin shirt sleeves.

"Welcome everyone!" the woman spoke in a sprightly tone. "I'm Arabella. We are pleased you could come on such short notice. You'll have to forgive our appearance, we were winding down from a long week. The festival goers up north have already gathered and there are plenty of...forcible peace negotiations taking place to protect them."

Her odd phrase for 'demon slaying' seemed to fit her overall aesthetic but Sho heard Kevin laugh out loud beside him at the choice of words.

Filly had finished closing the portal and came to stand beside Sho. He could feel her lingering magic next to him like the pull of gravity. Her hands still shimmered slightly with the fading spell, like she had been grasping glitter in her palms.

The group placed their hands together in front of their chests and bowed in the Thai greeting toward Damyun and Arabella who responded in kind.

"We have rooms prepared for you inside. Eric and Shakara have already arrived and are going to be joining us in the Downworld parlor later on. Arisa, Filly, if you'd like to follow me," Arabella gestured. She began to move to a gravel path that wound around the side of the Institute.

Since the Institute was built on hallowed ground, beings with demonic energies could not enter the main building. The Downworld parlor was a neutral space that had adjoining rooms for vampire and warlock guests. The Tokyo Institute had no need for such a parlor since it was not built on hallowed ground.

Filly smiled at Sho and then hurried along to join the other women. He saw her reach down to take one of the black suitcases from Arisa's hand. Arisa looked up at her and grinned as they carried on a conversation with Arabella that continued out of earshot.

Kevin walked up to Damyun and clasped wrists with him.

"Long time no see, Damyun. We heard you've been up to your necks in shax demons. I hope you have some fun stories for us," said Kevin.

Damyun had relaxed a bit and nodded, reaching out to grab Sho's outstretched arm. "Let me just say, I'm relieved to have some more Nephilim around. We've lost some people," he said solemnly. "It's been a struggle to keep the outbreaks contained and the local people out of the fray."

He sighed heavily and scratched the back of his neck. "Let's head in, yeah?"

The men jogged up the stairs of the Institute. Once at the top they walked through the arched double doors of the entrance and into the main hall. It was brilliantly gilded with gold and deep purple accents. Two winding wooden staircases curved up either side of the wall to a balcony overlooking the room. The angelic rune was etched into the pale stone floor and above it, a wide iron chandelier was lighting the room along with torches placed against the walls.

Sho could see how the Institute had changed over the centuries, adopting modern furnishings and electricity while maintaining art and decor of a more ancient Thailand. It was an explosion of color and texture, a stark contrast to the simpler and darker Tokyo Institute.

Damyun led them up the left-hand staircase and down the hall. They were given adjoining rooms that were designed in a distinctly Western style. The four-poster bed in Sho's room had about a dozen colorful pillows arranged just so and a large wardrobe carved with intricate illustrations of Thai dragons and other mythical beings.

Sho walked around the room, looking out the window at the darkening sky and sticking a head in to check out the bathroom. He tossed his bag and twin scimitars on the bed and walked through the open doorframe into Kevin's room.

His kin was sitting on the floor at the end of his equally colorful bed and laying his various blades out in front of him, wiping down each one with care.

"You know, Takuya said something to me before we left Tokyo that's been bugging me." Sho sat on the edge of Kevin's bed and stared at the silver blades on the floor. Kevin hummed to let Sho know he was listening.

"He said something about here 'being in my blood but not being home'. What do you think he meant by that?"

Kevin continued to wipe his blades and rested his arms on his bent knees. "Well, your mother was Thai right? Maybe he's talking about any conflicting feelings you have about being here."

He set down a latin machete and turned to look at Shoji, "You've never been here before, have you?"

Sho shook his head and flopped back on the bed, one arm bent under his head. "Not that I remember. I was so young when my father took me to the Academy to begin training. Then he passed while I was there and I never got the chance to find out more about my mother."

He raised his other arm up over his face and stared at the back of his hand. "It's hard to feel connected to a place you've never really heard about."

Kevin nodded and looked out across the room. Shoji shut his eyes and tried to conjure up his mother in his mind.

The only image that came was from a faded picture his father had kept in his wallet. It was from when his parents had gotten married and his mother looked very young. She had a mess of tight brown curls that framed a small and delicate face. Her skin was a little darker, like his own, and she had high, round cheeks that seemed to glow when she smiled.

He thought she was beautiful. But he could only guess the other aspects of her. What was her voice like? Was she quiet and pensive like him and his father or maybe loud and outgoing?

He didn't find himself thinking of her often but Takuya's comment was floating in the back of his mind. He supposed that being here, in the country of her birth and the Institute where she would have lived, was probably the closest he would ever be to understanding what she might have been like.

He sighed and covered his eyes with his arm. Kevin saw his arm drop and slapped him hard on the knee.

"Hey man, like you said back in Tokyo, got to keep our minds on the task at hand. There'll be plenty of time to unravel Takuya's cryptic, Japanese haiku later. We have some demons to ' _forcibly negotiate_ ' with!"

Kevin got to his feet and reached out to pull Shoji up from the bed. They stood there for a second looking at each other. Kevin with his hopeful eyes and open face hiding nothing.

Sho felt himself shaking the webs of the past from his mind and smiled. They left the room together and headed to the Downworld parlor to meet up with the others.


	6. Chapter 6 - Ready to Go

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 6 - Ready to Go

(Downworld parlor, Bangkok Institute)

* * *

"I'm telling you guys, you're missing out on mundane transport. The views flying over here were awesome!"

Eric was feeling rather social it seemed. He had his feet crossed up on an ottoman and a glass of Thai tea half emptied in one hand. He wore the same kind of baggy clothes Sho had seen him in at the Council meeting, but his sleeves and pants were rolled up and his shirt unbuttoned to keep cool in the oppressive South-East humidity.

"And the food wasn't so bad. I had some kind of noodle dish and all the complimentary Thai teas I could keep down," he said as he took another gulp of tea.

Arisa laughed shortly from the sofa. "The only human aircraft I miss are dirigibles. There's nothing quite like the threat of burning up in a fiery blaze to make a journey more exciting."

She smiled to herself, exposing the sharpened little points of her fangs and looked up to Filly who was seated beside her. She was leaning up against the warlock's shoulder with her feet tucked to her side on the claw-foot sofa, her puffy skirt spilling out over the edge. It seemed an oddly intimate position, but he imagined that a friendship that had lasted centuries would probably include a level of closeness that was foreign to most Shadowhunters.

Filly giggled lightly and took a drink from her glass. "You sure have a way of romanticizing the past, _onna_."

Eric made a kind of huffing noise and took another drink.

The faerie, Shakara, was standing by the tall curtained window at the far end of the parlor. She wasn't drinking anything but her hands were busy with some golden relic that she had lifted off the windowsill. She was turning it over quizzically and then, deciding it was no longer interesting, placed it unceremoniously back down and walked toward the center of the room.

She was wearing a fully Thai outfit for some reason. Bright pink like dragon fruit, embroidered with a pattern of gold lacework. She had also tied her multicolored hair up in a messy bun and had about a dozen hair pins sticking out with various trinkets dangling to one side. With dark makeup and large hoops hanging from her pointed ears she looked like some strange Euro-punk, Thai crossover.

Eric was looking at her sideways with an entirely judgmental expression on his face. He seemed to notice what Sho was thinking.

"What's with the getup, Shakara?" he asked.

"You disapprove werewolf?" She did a little twirl in front of her onlookers and seemed to fancy herself quite a bit. "I just adore the styling in this part of the world. _Mak mak_! Such vibrant colors and intricate designs. It feels, curiously, like I'm back in the faerie court!" She lifted her hands and jingled the mass of gold bangles wrapped around her wrists.

"But who would expect you to appreciate good taste," she continued, "lycanthropes aren't known for their ravishing attire. In fact, I'd stake that you're far more liable to tear clothing to shreds." She raised her nose pointedly and continued to swing her hips about to music no one else could hear.

Eric made a low growl in the back of his throat and looked at Shakara through narrow eyes behind his glasses.

"Are we all getting along nicely?" Arabella, or Bella as she had asked them to call her, called out softly as she entered the room with Damyun at her side.

Lined up behind her were five other Shadowhunters Sho had never seen before. They were all dressed in full fighting gear and had lucid black runes covering their exposed skin. They marched in like a patrol of bodyguards, with weapons of _krabi-krabong_ hanging from their waists and strapped to their legs and backs.

Sho clenched his fists. He now wished he had gotten dressed in gear before coming down to the parlor and ached for his scimitars upon seeing how heavily armed the other Shadowhunters were.

The black-clad men and women lined up behind Damyun and Bella, their faces looking tired and worn. Some still had traces of dirt smeared on their cheeks and in their hair. They looked on the diverse group in front of them with wide eyes, probably not accustomed to seeing one of each Downworld in the parlor at one time.

"These are the other Shadowhunter that are staying with us. As you can see, our numbers have fallen. There were nine of us not three months ago," Damyun spoke in a low tone.

"This is Champ, Mo, Aom, Theera, and Deer. They will be patrolling with us during the festival to keep the demons distracted while your party surveys the convergence."

The group all bowed in the Thai greeting and a chorus of " _Sawadee_ " quietly filled the room.

Sho and Kevin nodded to them in a kind of acknowledgment. The Tokyo Institute hadn't lost anyone in a long time, but the death of a fellow Nephilim was felt by the whole. It was an expected drawback of the profession but heartbreaking nonetheless, and Sho's chest felt heavy when he thought about all the loss these Shadowhunters had endured in such a short period.

Vengeance was growing in him like the embers of a fire being blown to life.

"Are we going out tonight then?" Arisa rose up from her place next to Filly and looked to Damyun. Her gaze was set and she looked entirely stimulated to avenge the Shadowhunters and her own fallen kin.

Sho realized then that he and the others in black were not the only ones with stakes in this mission. Arisa had not known the fledglings that were slayed, but vampires were a loyal race, despite their cold dispositions.

The fire he saw in Arisa's eyes wasn't so unlike his own.

"We are, if you're all feeling up to it." Damyun stared around the room and seemed to take everyone's earnest gazes as an agreement. "Right, we will meet outside the parlor entrance in thirty minutes. Sho, Kevin, you'll be wanting your full gear. The rest of you, prepare as you would for fighting. I doubt we will be getting through the night unscathed."

Everyone rose to their feet in unison. Eric had his arms folded in front of him and even Shakara had a kind of wild look in her bright green eyes. Filly was the only one looking hesitant; she was turned to the side watching everyone with a worried expression. Arisa placed her hand on Filly's arm without breaking her gaze from Damyun.

Shoji looked to Kevin who gave him a playful wink, then marched up to Damyun.

"We're ready."


	7. Chapter 7 - The Ghost Festival

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 7 - The Ghost Festival

(Phi Ta Khon, somewhere in the mountains outside of Chiang Rai )

* * *

The Phi Ta Khon, or Ghost Festival was spectacular. Filly had warned the portal may place them in the heart of the festivities since she was using the energy from the celebrations as a foothold. They had, in fact, exited right beside the ongoing parade in a side alley between two small street shops. Sho could smell strong spices mixing with the steam and humidity.

They were about 600 kilometers north of the Institute. There were mountains and dense jungle surrounding the village and Sho could hear the high whining of insects over the music and stomping of the parade goers.

Down the alley, he could see the procession walking by in a kaleidoscope of color. Men dressed in elaborate costumes of reds, blues, yellows, and pinks were twirling and dancing in erratic movements. They wore long and pointed masks painted with wide grins filled with white pointed teeth. The fangs shone brightly under the old street lights and would have been comical if they weren't so frightening. They were topped with colorful woven crowns, and long tassels with small metal bells hung from belts around their waists. The noise from the drums, bells, and chanting was incredible and Sho felt the overstimulation immediately.

"Alright everyone," Bella shouted over the noise, "our Nephilim will dispense through the crowd and begin searching for the demons that are almost certainly hiding among the dancers." Her face had taken on a serious expression that was intensified by the shadows cast from the crowd like headlights on the highway.

"The rest of you will have to work your way across the crowd and up into the mountain over there. The convergence is somewhere on the other side and the nests of demons are scattered throughout the area."

Myung pointed up over the crowd and Sho could see starlight illuminating the crest of the low mountain where the Milky Way cut into the peak.

Sho and the other Shadowhunters began to unsheathe their weapons. The ground below them flared as their enchanted blades sprang to life. They lit up the ally, and Sho's own twin scimitars blazed the same brilliant blue hue.

Kevin kept his broadsword on his back and had opted for daggers that would be easier to maneuver in a crowd. He walked over to Sho and they waved a stele over each other's parabatai runes. It was like his whole body came alive, right down to his fingertips. Sho could feel the connection between them grow stronger. Kevin looked him in the eye, confirming his sentiment.

The Downworlders were prepared far differently. Eric' hands had transformed subtly into claws with yellow nails curved inward like a rake. His hair had grown and his eyes shone lime green in the darkness.

Beside him Shakara had changed into slightly more appropriate clothing, her wide leg pants still a bright shade of pink and her shirt sleeves far longer than her arms. From beneath the sleeve Sho could see the thin chain she held with a small curved knife hanging from the end.

Arisa had changed as well. She was in all black, similar to the Shadowhunter gear, and her hair was tied up in a long ponytail that hung over her shoulder. She wore a vest with a hood that rested just above her eyes and carried no weapon in her pale hands.

Sho saw a scattered, wild look in her eyes that he was so unaccustomed to seeing. They hardly ever had to work together in such an environment. She was still strikingly beautiful, but he was more aware than ever of what she was in that moment; a damned, ageless woman of tremendous, supernatural power.

Filly hadn't changed much to prepare. She wore the same thin, lilac dress that clung to her shoulders and hips in the humid air. Her blonde hair was tied back in braids over her horns and she wore gladiator sandals that laced up to her knees. She had a _naginata_ held in front of her, a tall thin pole with a curved blade at the end.

Sho saw her hands wringing the staff anxiously. He remembered the same feeling when he was younger, sparring with Takuya and Kevin in the dojo back in Tokyo. He remembered the way his hands had seemed to sweat with anticipation and his feet gripped too tightly to the floor.

But he was grown now; a trained fighter. His hands remained dry on the hilts of his blades and his boots felt grounded upon the dirt. The anxiousness was gone, and in its place he felt only urgency and expectation. The doubts that had plagued him earlier concerning his family and his place in this hot, foreign country had been left behind and he was focused on the task ahead. He felt at home among his fellow Shadowhunters and knowing their struggle was his struggle and their frustrations were his frustrations.

 _Don't worry Filly_ , he thought to himself. _I'm a protector._

The group had walked up to the edge of the parade, knowing the glamors they wore hid them from the crowd. Damyun and Bella nodded once to each other and then they split along the parade with the rest of the Bangkok Shadowhunters following behind.

Sho and Kevin were left with the others to make their way straight through the procession. He looked around at the others and they all shook their heads in agreement as he led the way through the whirlwind of color and noise.

He held his blades close to his side as they edged slowly through the crowd. Masks seemed to be everywhere; their wicked faces tilted and turned in jittering motions that unnerved Sho. The drumming and thumping of feet seemed to beat in time with his heart. He could feel beads of sweat dripping down his neck and wetting his hair. The air was electric and the fresh runes on his arms and neck pulsed with power. They danced their way through, turning this way and that, being separated and brought back together through the mass of bodies.

Sho turned to his left and saw a giant gray puppet rise above the crowd, its long arms held up with poles waving about like banners in the wind. It had wide, white eyes that looked out across the crowd in a far-away stare. When Sho looked back down he saw Filly's figure moving on ahead of him, her naginata held firmly to her shoulder. She was looking around wide-eyed and seemed frightened.

Sho started towards her, bumping shoulders with people that couldn't see him. Filly stood unmoving in the crowd, looking across the parade without seeing Sho walking towards her. Suddenly, her braids flew up around her horns and it looked as if she dropped hard into the crowd.

"Filly! Kev, something happened to Filly!" Sho shouted. He looked behind him but Kevin had also disappeared. He whipped his head around frantically, strands of hair sticking to his cheek and neck. He pressed forward towards the spot where Filly had vanished. The crazed fanged masks flashed all around him and in his peripheral vision he thought he saw black masses running along beside him.

He recognized one of the Bangkok Shadowhunters, Aom, falling into the path ahead of him and he shouted out to her. Before she could turn around to face him Sho saw both of her arms fly out behind her, held by black, pitted claws. Then they were pulled back, separating from her torso while her body fell forward heavily to the ground.

Sho stopped abruptly. He stood there open mouthed and gapping at the body. Blood was running off into the dirt and people were tripping and stumbling over a person they couldn't see. Aom's face was turned away from him and her long brown hair was splayed out on the ground, caked with mud and blood.

Sho unfroze and ran towards her, his scimitars pumping in time with his steps. The demon was still holding one of Aom's arms in his claw, its body on all fours swaying low to the ground. Its face was covered in one of the festival masks but Sho could see white, barren eyes staring back at him.

The demon scampered out of sight towards the other side of the parade and melted into the trees. Sho made a sharp turn to his right and pursued it, almost falling out of the throng. He looked down the parade to his right and saw Kevin falling out of the crowd at the same time as him, his daggers dripping with the dark anchor of demon blood. Sho pointed ahead into the tree line with his blade and took off, knowing his parabatai would follow.

The darkness among the trees was a stark contrast to the light from the parade. Without his night vision rune he wouldn't have been able to see anything at all, but the rune allowed him to see the outline of the trees as if they emitted their own glow.

Stepping on through the brush his boot crushed something with a loud crackling sound. When he lifted his leg he saw the mask the demon had been wearing now crumpled and soiled with mud.

Confident he was following in the right direction he took off with more speed, the trees whizzing by and his blades slicing through smaller saplings like paper. He could tell he was running uphill and his quads were burning with the force of his steps. Behind him he heard Kevin's heavy breathing catching up to him.

The parabatai lined up side-by-side just as Sho slowed to a stop in front of a small pool. The water sparkled with the ripples cast out from the short waterfall at the other end. Kevin stepped forward, wading into the edge of the pool. The water crept up to his ankles and his feet sank into the soft mud.

He slipped his daggers away and reached up over his shoulder, pulling his broadsword from its holster. Kevin smiled as he wielded it before him. The sword burned up slowly until it was the same brilliant blue of Sho's scimitars. The water before them reflected the light and illuminated the pool.

There was a rasping sound coming from the trickling waterfall and Sho saw the demon appear from under the shower, water flying off its shining, grotesque frame. The face was rimmed with long ragged flesh that hooded the eyes and mouth, but Sho could see the outline of thin sharp teeth shining in the light, looking almost exactly like the masks worn by the festival dancers. Water dripped from the demon's face in heavy drops and the body sloshed through the water keeping close to the embankment behind it.

Sho kept his eyes fixed on the ravenor demon as it moved hesitantly at the end of the pool. "It killed Aom. And Filly is missing, I saw her vanish in the crowd," he blinked away sweat that trickled down his brow and crossed his feet one over the other as he moved around the pool, away from Kevin.

"Bella and Deer were fighting a shax demon when I found them. They were right about the demons hiding among the masks and puppets." Kevin had his sword held low to his groin and his shoulders were tensed up to his neck. "We managed to kill it but I lost them afterward. I haven't seen anyone since besides you."

The demon continued to move back and forth in the water, its head darting from Kevin to Sho and making low hissing noises that mixed with bubbling waterfall.

"We have to find Filly. She could be in trouble," Sho took a step into the pool and the demon leaned forward hissing loudly.

Kevin was grinning to himself, raising his right elbow up to his shoulder and pointing the blade toward the demon who had turned his attention away from Sho.

"I can handle this one brother. You go ahead and look for Filly and the others." The demon lashed out a short distance, splashing water on Kevin in a wave. Sho's parabatai held his ground and didn't flinch, letting the water drip from his hands and face back into the pool. He edged forward slowly, his knees covered in the dark water.

"Come find us when you're through," Sho said as he backed up. He held up his crossed scimitars behind his back, hiding their glow.

As it was, the demon was preoccupied with Kevin as he got nearer and deeper into the pond. Sho backed out of the pond and swiftly moved along the bank, hugging the curve of the water. Once he reached the waterfall he leaped silently up on the hill. He was beside a wide tree and turned his back to the trunk facing away from the pond and out of sight of the demon. He could hear Kevin moving in the water and the growing agitation from the demon as it hissed and popped.

He paused for a moment and held his blades to his chest. He could hear the demon moving around restlessly and easing towards the waterfall closer to him.

"Oh no buddy, your fight is with me," Kevin called out calmly.

Then Sho heard one of them, he wasn't sure which, lunge forward in the water, followed by a heavy thud and scores of splashing. Without looking back he seized his chance and dashed forward into the dark of the jungle.


	8. Chapter 8 - Revelations in the Valley

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 8 - Revelations in the Valley

(Somewhere in the mountains outside of Chiang Rai )

* * *

Sho knew he was on the other side of the mountain when his boots started slipping in the soil. He had to turn sideways and edge his way more slowly down slopes of varying steepness. He wasn't sure of the direction but he felt an urgency to press ahead. The moonlight was low in the sky ahead of him and he knew that dawn couldn't be more than a few hours away.

The jungle had started to thin. He was entering a large clearing that flattened out ahead and he saw the twisted indentations of old tributaries that meant he was in farmland. There was a small, unkempt hut propped up in the very center of the field with a glowing lantern outside the front door.

Sho started toward it, his legs feeling heavy with mud and the strain of running.

Once he reached the hut he silently crept up onto the patio to peek through a gap in the paneled wall. There were no lights on inside but he could see the outline of some cots and a few short stools around a table. There were two figures standing around the table in the dark, leaning in close as if whispering to each other.

Sho couldn't know if they were friend or foe, but Shadowhunter training urged him to assume the latter. He strained to hear what they were saying and leaned against the wall, just as a blinding light moved in front of his face.

He stumbled backward off the patio, gasping out loud at the shock of the sudden blaze. The slippery wood had no grip for his heavy boots and he fell onto his back with a soft thud.

There was shuffling from inside the hut and growing voices. When Sho's eyes had adjusted again to the darkness he saw Filly, Arisa, and lastly Eric spilling out of the doorway. They were all glancing at him with startled looks and in various stages of disarray.

Filly was the first to come over to him as he stood up, holding the same golden light in her hand that had blinded him a moment before.

"Shoji! We thought we had lost all our Shadowhunters. Thank goodness you're alright!"

She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him into a hug with a kind of desperate happiness. Sho held his arms out wide, not used to being embraced so suddenly (or really at all). She pulled back just as swiftly and looked him over. He could see her braided hair was damp and a dark smudge of dirt lined her left cheek.

"Are the others with you?" Eric asked in a rushed whisper.

Sho looked around Filly's shoulder and she backed away, dropping her hands and wrapping them around herself.

"Kevin was with me," said Sho "but he stayed behind to finish off a ravenor demon. I saw one of the Bangkok Shadowhunters killed during the parade and…"

He looked to Filly with wide eyes, remembering the events that brought him here, "...You! You disappeared in the crowd. I thought a demon had caught you!"

Filly looked puzzled, "I lost everyone in the parade. I used my magic to hide myself when I saw there were demons around. But once I had cleared the crowd I waited in the shadows until I found Eric and Arisa. We all decided to go on over the mountain to the convergence."

"I'm sorry to worry you, Sho." The Shadowhunter just nodded and gave her a small smile to encourage all was well.

"You know, the convergence is so strong here, I can practically feel it through the earth," she looked down at her feet that were covered in mud and Sho noticed her dress had a long cut up the side.

Filly lowered her hands and looked at Arisa who was staring at Sho with her usual serious expression.

"That's not all," Filly continued morosely. "We found a fledgling in the jungle. A young vampire. He couldn't have risen more than a day ago; there was no way to save him, his bloodlust was so strong and he had been starving. Eric had to..."

Filly looked up to the ridge behind Sho who followed her gaze. The jungle loomed dark and dense, as inviting as a lion's den. It seemed a completely unforgiving place for a young vampire.

Sho looked back at Arisa who held her eyes downcast. There were angry creases on her pale face. Eric was staring away from all of them, looking more agitated than upset, his hands back to normal human fists that were clenched at his sides.

Sho swallowed hard. He was beginning to worry for his parabatai and the rest of the Shadowhunters. Shakara was also missing and it seemed no one knew what had happened to her. He could only hope that she had found some of the others and had stayed with them.

He twisted the hilts of his scimitars in his hands. He felt tired and strained by the humid air, the effects of his runes beginning to wear off. They stood in a silent circle outside the hut, the lantern hanging still and pitifully dim in the doorway. Cicadas whirred loudly out in the field and Sho saw the flicker of fireflies hovering low to the ground out of the corner of his eyes.

He didn't know what to say, but he knew there was a reason why they were all there. He raised his head to Filly who caught his eyes straight away.

"You said you could feel the convergence here. Can you say with certainty this is the spot the reports were referring to?" he spoke clearly and with a directive tone.

Filly recognized the focused look and her face grew serious.

"Yes. This is undoubtedly the spot they were sensing, somewhere in this field," she looked around as if she could point it out to them with her eyes, "Eric already ran the perimeter and confirmed that there are no humans in the area. It seems that this field has been left alone for some time." She looked to the werewolf who nodded in confirmation.

"We were discussing our next moves when you got here," Eric concluded.

Sho nodded to himself and shifted side to side. He knew that they should return to the village to see if the rest of the group had gathered to wait for them. Yet, he felt uneasy and couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them from out in the overgrown field. He had learned to trust his instincts and to act when his body felt compelled to move.

Something about this place didn't feel right and he wasn't about to leave until he knew why.

"You all should head back to the village. The others might be waiting for you to portal them back and I have to wait for Kevin," he looked over at Arisa who was already shaking her head, "Arisa, it's going to be dawn soon, you can't be out here in the open when the sun rises. Besides, I'm not likely to be attacked by any more demons while the sun is up."

Sho saw in her eyes she knew he was right and looked to Eric to back him up.

"He's right," Eric agreed, "we can't leave the others waiting. Some of them may be injured. We've done all we can for tonight. We found the area we need to monitor and we can come back tomorrow night to do a more thorough search. The three of us can go meet the rest of the group and then Filly can portal back here to get Sho and Kevin, right Filly?"

Eric looked at Filly carefully and she slowly nodded.

"Yes. I can do that. Now that I know where this place is I can get us here whenever we need," she looked at Arisa sympathetically and tried to make eye contact, but Arisa was firmly looking off in the distance.

"I will stay to look into whoever is siring these fledglings," she said harshly.

" _Nee-san_ , I promise we will come back and find out why," Sho tried to sound as convincing as he could, with an ounce of childlike protest that he hoped would strike a chord with her.

"Arisa, he's right, we have to go back," Filly pressed.

Arisa turned her head around but didn't look at any of them. It hurt Sho to see her that way, like her pride was so close to shattering and her sense of responsibility so heavy. The fact that they had found a fledgling meant that the Institute had been justified in their prior action and there was nothing she could do about that now.

He felt for her and was frustrated that he couldn't do anything to protect her from her feelings. She had always looked out for him and he was letting her down now.

"Alright," she said quietly, "let's go back to the village and see if we can find the others. _Sho-chan_ , are you sure you will be alright?"

Sho smiled in relief. "I'll be fine. Kevin will be here soon. We will meet you back at the Institute."

Filly started rubbing her palms together in front of her stomach and light sparkled between her fingers. She pulled her hands apart and a long stream of gold stretched the space between. She turned around and waved her arms up over her head as the portal took shape, suspended in the air before them.

Eric walked over to Sho and clapped him on the arm, then walked over to the portal and passed through without hesitation. Arisa followed him begrudgingly, her ponytail hanging heavy on her back. She didn't look up as she stepped through the shower of snowy sparks.

Filly turned to Sho, her eyes looking as troubled as he felt and then followed along behind. The portal made a light crackling sound as it dissipated and then all Sho could hear was the sound of birds off in the distance as the hazy gray of morning began to glow over the mountainside.

* * *

Sho was sitting on the edge of the patio when he saw a dark figure emerging from the edge of the jungle across the field. He could tell it was Kevin, who appeared to be limping slightly and carried his shoulders in front of him with exhaustion. Sho was up in an instant and started running down one of the dirt paths toward his parabatai.

Kevin looked up and slowly raised his arm to Sho in greeting. It only took a few moments to make his way to Kevin who had slowed to a stop in the middle of the path and looked close to collapsing.

Sho caught him upright and looked him over. There was mud splattered all over his chest and smeared on his face where he had obviously tried to wipe it away. The ends of his wavy brown hair were encrusted with it as well and he smelled strongly of earth and wet leather from his gear. There was a gash on his upper arm and chest that had started to heal with the power of his runes but still looked raw and painful.

"What, no comments about my new look? I think this hair gel will get all the ladies." He used his free hand not holding Sho to push back his mud-caked locks. A playful, pained grin spread across his face.

Sho ignored him and pulled out his stele to wave it over Kevin's healing and blood replenishment runes on his forearm. The runes darken and shimmered under the stele and Sho saw the gashes finish closing under the cuts in Kevin's gear. Color was slowly returning to his cheeks and Sho loosened his hold as his parabatai stood up straighter.

"Looks like that demon gave you a run for your money," he teased.

Kevin scoffed lightly and surveyed the damage to his gear. "In my defense, it is pretty difficult to fight in waist deep water. We never covered that in Takuya's training sessions." He pointlessly tried to wipe the dirt from his stomach and thighs and then gave up, placing his hands on his hips in his usual fashion.

"So, what happened to you? Where is everyone else?"

"Eric and Arisa went back with Filly to the village to see if the others were there to portal back to Bangkok. Filly should be back here any moment to pick us up."

"Sweet. Our own personal portal service."

They turned back down the path toward the hut. Kevin was looking more and more like himself. Their heavy boots crunched the dirt loudly as they walked.

Sho was watching the hut far ahead of him when he saw a mirage rippling in the air by the door. The portal took shape, sparkling even brighter in the daylight, and they saw Filly's tall frame walk out of the darkness. She was wearing the same torn dress from before and her braids were falling apart under her large curling horns.

She looked around the field and caught sight of the pair of them walking towards her. A relieved smile spread across her face and she waved both hands at them in a cute little gesture. Kevin waved back, holding his arm high above his head.

"Oh shit. Sho, look."

Sho turned around to look at Kevin and saw his outstretched hand pointing toward the hut. When he followed his parabatai's signal he saw a dark mass crawling out from under the patio, long black arms stretching out into the dirt and the ragged flesh from its head sweeping the ground.

"Filly!" the parabatai shouted, "Look out! Beside you!"

They started sprinting down the path, pulling their weapons free. Filly was looking around crazily and Sho saw her face blanch when she realized the ravenor demon was crawling towards her with growing speed. Its flesh was steaming and sizzling in the daylight and Sho knew that it would be twice as deadly being in that kind of agony.

He doubled his sprint and kept his eyes on Filly who had produced a naginata in her hands with a flourish. The whole staff was glowing gold and when she swung it out in front of her it left a trail of light. The swing missed the demon's face and Filly twirled it up around her head and brought it straight down hitting the creature on the shoulder.

The demon cried out a shrill scream and spun around, lashing out with a long razor-edged tail. Filly reacted quickly and held out her hand to block the hit with a brilliant gold light. The contact sent her and the demon flying away from each other. The demon skidded to a stop many meters away, still steaming and crying out in a terrible wail. Filly hit the ground hard and her naginata went flying and vanished in a fizzle of sparks.

The parabatai had reached the battle and split ways, Kevin going over to Filly and Sho twisting his blades behind him and going after the ravenor demon.

The wretch had gotten back up, its back arched in a gross, twisted angle. It had its sights set on Sho. Its white eyes were rimmed with red and Sho could see its long, disjointed jaw bearing the same sharpened teeth the other had.

Sho didn't pause this time. He lunged forward, twisting his body around to the left and swinging his scimitar sideways to cut the demon on its injured shoulder. The force was strong enough to sever the arm in a spray of black blood but the demon hardly reacted. It was already reaching out to Sho with its other claw and springing up to sink its teeth into him. Sho let himself fall and tucked under its arm, somersaulting into a kneeling position. When he raised his head he barely had time to react, bringing his blades up to his chest in a cross before getting whacked with the full force of the demon's tail.

He managed to stay upright somehow. The demon was limping away from him on its three remaining legs and using its tail, now bleeding dark anchor into the grass, to help keep its balance. Sho stood and spun around to face it.

He saw Kevin holding Filly in his arms on the ground behind the demon. Filly looked like she was bleeding heavily from one arm. The other arm was glowing weakly and swaying side to side toward a slowly expanding portal.

Sho renewed his gaze on the ravenor demon. He was breathing heavily and gripping his scimitars so tightly his knuckles were white. The demon pulled back and sprang forward, its mouth gaping wide and spitting out a black spray of anchor. Sho closed his eyes and twisted his boots into the dirt, preparing for the blow. He plunged both blades ahead of him and felt the familiar sensation of flesh being penetrated with the force of his push.

Opening his eyes he saw that his right blade was thrust through the demon's face, cutting one of its eyes and into its mouth. The other blade was lodged deep into its chest.

Sho used all that was left of his strength to spin the demon over on its back with his blades still stuck inside and then pulled them out in a downward motion, cutting the demon through until he felt ground under his blades. The demon lay motionless on the ground and quickly burst into flame in the sunlight. Sho watched its corpse burn for a moment, collecting himself, and then turned to find Kevin and Filly.

The two of them were still on the ground. Kevin held Filly's horned head in his lap, gripping the gash on her arm trying to stop the bleeding. Filly's face was paling but her eyes were still focused and alert. She was using all of her power to keep her free hand outstretched toward the portal. Sho sprinted over to them, placing his blades on his back.

He bent down behind Filly and grabbed her under the arms. She gasped out loud in pain but her hand remained ablaze and with Kevin's help they all tumbled backward into the half-sized portal.

All three of them fell in a heap on the other side into the middle of the Downworld parlor back at the Institute. Sho could still smell the burning flesh of the demon in his nose, but looking up he saw a crowd of people rushing towards them through the double doors of the parlor.

Damyun and Bella were at the head, stopping just short of the sprawled-out legs on the area rug. The rest of the Shadowhunters stood behind them, staring anxiously at the scene. Sho felt hands on his shoulder and looked up to see Shakara's small face, framed by her colorful hair, gazing down at him.

"Well, how entirely punctual of you three. We were about to sit down for some tea and _kongwan_." She grinned widely at him and as usual was reading the atmosphere of the room entirely wrong.

"Help us get Filly up on the sofa. Her arm is badly injured."

The Shadowhunters came forward to help lift Filly's long body off the ground. They placed her gently on the same claw foot sofa from the evening before.

She moaned quietly as they moved her. Sho looked around the room and saw Eric coming over with clean bandages and a small bowl of hot water in his arms. He came around the sofa and placed the items on the side table, kneeling down beside Filly and taking her bleeding arm in his hands. With the seasoned confidence of a man accustomed to these kinds of injuries he set to work cleaning the wound.

Sho stood back beside Kevin to watch with the rest of the group. He heard the loud thumping of heels on the wood floor and glanced at the door to see Arisa fall into the room, still dressed in her black hooded vest and her hair pulled harshly back. She surveyed the room quickly and stiffened upon seeing Filly.

The warlock's chest was covered in blood with eyes tightly shut in pain as Eric worked. Arisa ignored everyone and rushed over behind the sofa. She leaned over the wood frame and bent down to hold Filly's horns lightly in both hands, turning her head towards her.

"Filly!" she whispered loudly, then swallowed and looked the warlock over, seeing the gash on her arm being wiped clean by Eric's nurturing hands. She stroked Filly's horns tenderly and stared into her eyes with an intensity that made Sho tighten where he stood.

"I'm fine Arisa. Really, I'll be alright," Filly stared ahead through half-closed eyes. "You should have seen me. I must have looked like an idiot fighting that demon. I'm so out of practice." She smiled weakly and raised her good hand to grip Arisa's wrist.

Arisa's eyes softened. Their faces were only inches apart.

" _Baka_ ," she whispered defeated, then closed the space between them and kissed the warlock with her open mouth.


	9. Chapter 9 - Blades and Minds

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 9 - Blades and Minds

(Bangkok Institute)

* * *

Shoji woke up in his colorful bed, now void of pillows save for one under his head. The sheets were twisted and tangled at his feet and he felt a soft breath of air spilling across his bare chest from the open window.

He ran his palm over his stomach. He could feel the rough calluses of his hand against his skin. The cuts and bruises he had received were healed and nothing remained to remind him of the night before.

At least nothing physical.

His mind was swimming with images. He saw his parabatai and the ravenor demon at the pool, the blinding light of Filly's magic at the hut, Kevin holding a bleeding Filly in the dirt, the way Arisa kissed Filly in an exhalation of relief.

He groaned and rolled over on his side. He didn't know what he had expected. Certainly the demons and chaos weren't new. Of course, it had been a long time since he and Kevin had had to do any fighting like that, but it had all come back to him easily enough. It had felt good to use his weapons in a fight. He was still reveling in the feeling of slaying the ravenor demon.

But the way the morning had ended, he hadn't expected that. He didn't know how to feel about it. Arisa was like a sister to him, and Filly was a stranger he barely knew at all. It shouldn't have been surprising that Arisa kept parts of her personal life private, but Sho felt a little betrayed all the same. In his mind he recalled Arisa coming out of the bedroom at Filly's place, and of Filly reaching down to take the suitcase from Arisa's hand.

He was frustrated he hadn't picked up on it sooner.

Arisa had spent time with the boys since Sho had first come to the Tokyo Institute. She was one of the few Downworlders who had spent time at the Institute and was friendly with all the Shadowhunters. He never knew how she had come to take an interest in their Institute, and had never thought to ask Takuya why.

She was head of the massive vampire clan in Tokyo and a respected leader, so there were hardly ever incidents involving the Downworld that required Shadowhunter intervention. Sho and Kevin had split up some territorial disputes and restrained fledglings for the Praetor Lupus to handle, but other than that life had been considerably peaceful. Almost boringly so.

Yet Arisa was always available, to vent to or get advice from. She never talked about her past and didn't ask others about theirs. She enjoyed sharing in the arts and music and games that Sho enjoyed and could make some killer gyoza.

It had never occurred to Sho to ask her if she was happy or who made her happy.

He opened his eyes and stared out the window. He didn't want those thoughts floating around in his mind any longer.

Besides, he told himself, the mission was an overall success.

They now knew where the convergence was and the Clave's group had come out of the ordeal no more worse for wear. Kevin's wounds had healed up and Filly's hand was going to be fine as soon as she had recovered enough to heal it properly with her own magic.

But there was, of course, the fact that the Institute had lost one of their Shadowhunters. They had managed to recover Aom's body from the parade and bring it back with them. The Silent Brothers had been called to take her to the City of Bones and lay her to rest among the other fallen Shadowhunters.

Sho had explained to the Institute head what had happened and while Bella had broken down, Damyun kept the same cold, steely expression he normally carried. Sho had seen the couple talking with Brother Alexander in the front lobby of the Institute later in the morning on his way to his room to sleep. The other Shadowhunters were gathered in their mourning whites and comforting each other in hushed tones. Sho didn't understand any of the Thai words but their intentions were crystal clear.

It was afternoon now. He had slept for a while from sheer exhaustion but now lay awake and was ready to admit that he wasn't going to get any more sleep. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slipped his bare feet into a pair of sandals. He kicked away pillows he had thrown off the bed and made his way to the bathroom.

He was relieved to find a western style shower with plush towels and fragrant soaps that soon had the room smelling as sweet as the department stores back home in Tokyo. Once clean and feeling infused with energy, Sho left the bathroom and changed into his travel clothes; a white V-neck shirt and jeans. Then he went to work cleaning his scimitars and gear of demon ichor and dirt.

The whole time he was thinking of his mother. He wondered if she had liked living here at the Bangkok Institute. He was certain that Damyun and Bella were too young to remember if she had.

Would she have stayed here in these rooms? Had she been carrying Sho inside her while she walked the halls? It occurred to him that he had never asked his father much about her. He didn't even know how they had met. His father hadn't been the type of man to revel in the past and indulge family history. He was far more focused on being a Shadowhunter and making sure Sho followed in his footsteps.

There hadn't been an overwhelming amount of love there, but that was typical of a Shadowhunter family. Sho knew that there was probably a lot that he would never know about his parents. His life was destined to a cause, as all Shadowhunters were. Their fate was not their own and their lives were forfeited to the greatest battle humanity would never know.

But he couldn't help but think of his mother's fate, and his own had his parents lived to see him today.

He hung the clean gear from the shower curtain rod and laid his blades out on the bed next to his back holster. Still deep in thought, he heard Kevin open the conjoining door between their rooms and stroll in. He was also wearing jeans and a t-shirt with the words "Notice Me Senpai!" written across the chest. He had an open bag of shrimp chips in his hand and was methodically scarfing them down.

"Well, I slept like a rock. I forgot the punch-out power of healing runes," he spoke in his usual relaxed tone.

"Do you ever not sleep like a rock?" Sho replied.

Kevin pointed at him reproachfully. "The man has a point," then stuffed his mouth with more shrimp chips.

Sho's stomach turned over. "Ugh, I'm starving. Where did you find food?"

"These," he said, emptying the remaining contents of the bag into his mouth, "came from a little basket by the kitchen. But there's a whole spread in the Downworld parlor. They even have sushi, but it's the rolled up, knock-off kind." Kevin walked over to the waste bin and dropped his bag. Sho was staring out the bedroom window again in a distracted state.

"So...food? Hey, you alright man?" Kevin leaned against the door frame to his bedroom with his arms crossed. He was looking at Sho uneasily.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…" Sho picked off some crusted mud from the strap on his belt, "I was thinking about my mother. If she had ever lived here, you know?"

Kevin's eyebrows arched and he puffed out his cheeks in a long slow breath. "Probably, yeah. You might've even been born here. That's kind of weird to think about."

"I know, it's a stupid thing to be fixated on. Especially with everything else needing our attention."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Kevin unfolded his arms and walked up to Sho. Together they stared out the window. The river was shining in the late afternoon light and long, thin canoes were floating by the gardens at the river bank.

"You were bound to think about stuff like that coming here. I think that's why Takuya said what he did before; you don't have to feel guilty for wanting to know more about your parents," he clapped Sho on the back, "but you do have to focus on the task at hand and the first mission is to gorge ourselves on convenience store sushi."

He smiled his infectious smile and Sho was dragged into his good humor. They started to walk out of the room and Kevin chuckled to himself.

"That kiss last night was crazy though. I didn't know Arisa had a thing for warlock ladies," Sho's parabatai mused as he swung himself out of the room by the door frame. Sho sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, closing the bedroom door behind them with an intentional slam.


	10. Chapter 10 - Shared Histories

Shoji and the Field of Memories

Chapter 10 - Shared Histories

(Bangkok Institute)

* * *

By the time Sho had stuffed himself in the parlor with all the Thai and Japanese food he could eat, the orange and pink glow of evening had set onto the riverside. Outside the Institute he walked along the river's edge, his boots getting damp from the dew that still hung to the tall grass. Across the water he could see the dark shadows of houses built up on stilts along the riverside. Ferry-type boats were tied up to the docks and lanterns were hanging from the masts in glowing yellow strands. There were little ripples in the muddy water where fish came up to grab insects from the surface. The air was hot and heavy after an earlier squall and Sho had tied his long hair up to keep it from sticking to his neck.

He turned away from the river with one last look at the still water and started back toward the Institute. As he made his way up the slope he saw Filly sitting in one of the outdoor lounge chairs. She had a sketch pad in her lap and seemed to be absentmindedly running her pencil along the paper. Sho could see a splotch of red on her left wrist. It was all that remained after the encounter with the ravenor demon.

He hesitated on the first step of the white staircase and then, steeling his nerve, went over to where she was sitting.

She looked up at the sound of his footsteps nearing. The chains and rings hanging from her horns made a slight jingle when she turned and the gold-dipped tips sparkled when they caught the light. As he got closer he saw she was wearing a long white skirt that covered her feet and a light brown shirt that scooped downward showing the tops of her breasts. He purposely looked away as he walked up to her, hoping she hadn't noticed him staring.

"Konbanwa, Sho-kun," she greeted him in Japanese.

"Eh, konbanwa. You speak Japanese pretty well," he immediately regretted saying that. He remembered Arisa at that same moment and realized it was a silly thing to compliment Filly's Japanese considering their relationship.

The warlock just giggled the way she normally did when something amused her.

"Yes, well, Arisa is a good teacher," she tapped the end of her pencil on the sketchpad and wrapped the cover around to close it. She placed it on the small table beside her and leaned over her knees toward him.

"How are you? I saw Kevin sleeping in a chair in the parlor and figured you would be close by but I couldn't find you. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just went for a walk, wanted to clear my head a bit." He was tempted to make a comment about Kevin's ability to sleep anywhere but realized it wouldn't have much context.

Filly tilted her head to the side and looked at him with interest. "What's on your mind? If you don't mind me asking. I wouldn't mind someone to talk to for a bit. Eric has me on strict 'no unnecessary movement' orders until tonight, and Arisa is still asleep," she fiddled with the hem of her skirt as she spoke and looked up at him hopefully.

He flinched slightly at the mention of Arisa but didn't feel particularly averse to talking with Filly. She had a kind of open trustworthiness that seemed to invite him in.

He put his hands into his jean pockets and walked over to the chairs. He sat on the edge of the one parallel to her and looked out at the view of the river. The sun was almost gone over the horizon and the sky above them was already blending into the darker shades of night. Filly followed his gaze and stared ahead at the pink sunset.

"I've been thinking a lot about my family since I got here. You know, my mother was Thai. I never met her, she died when I was very young. I hadn't really learned anything about her besides she was apparently very beautiful. My father never talked about her."

He kept his hands balled up in his pockets as he explained. He wasn't used to being so blunt with strangers about his past. Though, he supposed after what they had gone through together he shouldn't really see Filly as a stranger any longer. And considering her intimacy with Arisa it seemed even less of a concern since Arisa had probably talked about him to the tall warlock.

Or at least he hoped she talked about him.

Filly nodded softly, her long blonde hair bouncing in the stagnant air. "Family is a tricky thing. They can mean everything to you and nothing at the same time," her voice was gentle and she smiled a little, like she was remembering something pleasant. "You come to find, after living for hundreds of years, that the family you choose for yourself is the most important."

"I don't think it even takes that long," Sho mused. "Shadowhunters are often orphaned and adopted into new families. I've lived with Takuya and Kevin since I was ten and consider them my true family. And Arisa too, I guess."

He mentioned the last part carefully, looking to Filly for a response. She continued to look ahead at the setting sun.

"I should apologize Shoji. I had asked Arisa to tell you about us for some time now. She often talked about you and Kevin and the trouble you would get into when you were young. She credited you two with the great standing of the Downworld in Tokyo. I feel like I already know you, to some extent. I wanted to meet you both for a long time but Arisa was always... protective of you. I think she considers you a special kind of family. As long as I've known her she's never taken to anyone quite as well. Especially not Shadowhunters."

Filly blinked and looked up at the sky. Sho saw her eyes shining in the last light of the day and admitted to himself that Arisa could have easily fallen for someone like her.

"What makes you say that?" he asked intrigued.

"It's no secret that the Downworld and Shadowhunters haven't always had the best relationship. Before the Great Peace there was a time when no one could have imagined our little gang working together for a common cause. Arisa has reason enough to hold a grudge against the Shadowhunters but for whatever reason she feels love for you two. That's a special thing for any Downworlder to feel towards the Nephelim."

Filly sighed. "It's a complicated thing, being damned. It can make you hard and cynical about family and relationships. Without Arisa in my life I can't imagine the kind of warlock I would have become. She reminds me that damned or not, everyone is entitled to forgiveness and redemption."

Sho was looking at her with earnest now, trying to grasp at the things being unsaid between words. He knew the histories and the ongoing strained relationships of the Shadowhunters and Downworlders. He knew that half-demon warlocks and cursed vampires considered themselves damned but had never heard one of them speak of it so candidly.

Is that how Arisa really saw herself? Is that how all vampires and warlocks saw themselves? It was terribly sad to think about.

"I'm sorry, I'm blabbering on about nothing. You were talking about your mother?" Filly looked at him and Sho saw her distant expression fade away into polite content. He swallowed and took his hands out of his pockets, running them over his silky black hair and pulling his ponytail tight.

"It's fine. We should probably be heading inside, it's almost time to get ready to go. Are you sure you're up for tonight?" He rose and offered his hand to her, remembering his manners.

She smiled and reached out to take his hand. Her long fingers were soft and held onto him gently. She stood up and looked down at him, they were standing very close and he could smell the fragrant shampoo that she had used and recognized it as the one from his own bathroom. She didn't let go of his hand right away and he grew nervous of letting go.

"I'm feeling much better. Eric is a good healer, even without magic."

She let go then and tucked her hair behind her ear under her horn. She reached down and picked up her sketchbook and pencil, holding them to her chest.

"Shall we?" She motioned toward the Institute and they walked off together to the parlor.


	11. Chapter 11 - The Night, Take Two

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 11 - The Night, Take Two

(Bangkok Institute, Downworld Parlor)

* * *

"There is hardly a thing about you that isn't painfully mundane, you insipid dog. One would imagine that an ability to transfigure would bond you with nature a little more deeply."

"There is no need to 'bond' yourself with nature in the middle of the room!"

"That is precisely what a foolish canine would say."

"Says the tooth fairy digging holes in the floor."

"TOOTH fairy?! You forget who you are speaking to werewolf! I am a High Court Consul to the Seelie Queen!"

Shoji and Filly entered the parlor amidst the very loud argument and paused in the doorway to watch the events unfolding before them. There was, indeed, a hole in the center of the floor that scooped downward in a wide indentation, and at the center, Shakara was sitting cross-legged wearing a bright orange and yellow sarong.

The area rug there previously was rolled up and pushed clumsily under a chair. Eric was standing next to the hole with his hands on his hips looking down at Shakara like a father about to scold a child. Shakara was staring back up at him with a darkness spreading over her face where it seemed blackness was slowly spreading across her temples and forehead and charring her otherwise lavender hair.

The look was frightening and Eric took a step back in surprise. His own eyes were glowing green behind his glasses and he let out a low growl.

"Woah! Alright, everyone let's calm down. Shakara, you're scaring Eric," Filly spoke gently but firmly and walked toward the center of the room with both hands outstretched in front of her, like she was approaching a wild animal.

"I'm not scared of the likes of her!" Eric spat, but his body language betrayed him. He continued to back away from the hole, pushing his cuffed sleeves up his arms.

"You should be, _mongrel_ ," hissed the faerie. She was staring ahead now but the darkness on her face was subsiding and her eyes were returning to normal. At least, they were normal for Shakara; covered with various shades of eyeshadow and neon yellow eyeliner. Her long, pointed ears twitched in agitation.

Filly sighed to herself and dropped her hands. "Thank you, Shakara. Now would you mind explaining to us why you are sitting in a ditch?"

Shakara shrugged her shoulders and placed her hands in the dirt, rubbing the soil between her fingers. She didn't seem inclined to answer.

"And I thought it was dogs that liked to dig holes," Kevin said cheerfully as he entered the room, a half-eaten apple in one hand.

Eric turned towards him and growled loudly, barring a few sharpened teeth.

"Yikes, my bad. No offense Eric." Kevin held up his hands in mock defense and flopped into one of the heavily embroidered bean chairs on the floor. He crossed his legs and rested his arms on the sides, watching the room with mild interest.

Sho smiled and moved to stand beside Filly. Together they looked down at the silent seelie sitting in the hole.

"I bet it's nice and cool down there," he said. Shakara looked up at him happily. The air around her sparkled and her cheeks flushed an array of colors.

"I knew I liked you, Nephilim," she giggled.

They all turned to the door when a gentle procession of footsteps could be heard approaching. Bella and Arisa walked into the space together, with Damyun following behind dressed in full gear. Bella didn't look like she was intending to join them, she was wearing a denim dress and white sandals with her long hair bouncing slightly at the ends. Her eyes looked tired and transparent like she had been crying.

Arisa was also already dressed for the mission; all in black like the Shadowhunters with tight black jeans and a long-sleeve shirt with an eye-shaped cut across the chest. She had tall boots with a heel and a holster wrapped around her chest that emphasized all her curves. Her black hair was tied low in a big, neat bun.

She looked very confused at the scene before her, but rather than say anything she just rolled her eyes and went over to the drink bar by the door and began to pour herself a glass of scotch.

Damyun stepped forward. His eyes glanced over the odd situation with Shakara, but then looked up around the room.

"Right, um, it's time we started to talk about the night ahead. I have given orders to the rest of my Shadowhunters to stay behind. Aom's death has hit them all hard and combined with our other losses I fear that any more untimely ends would result in... complications with their performance." His own pained expression and that of Bella beside him had the room in an incredible stillness. Even Shakara got up carefully and lightly brushed herself off, little pebbles of dirt falling to the ground.

"So, Bella and I decided that it would be best for you all to go alone. I will accompany you of course, and we have one other Shadowhunters from the Clave sent to aid us."

He turned to the door and gestured for someone to come in. Sho saw the shorter woman from the Council meeting, Min Hee, enter the room in full gear. Her short black hair was frizzy and thick in the heat and she wore a long earring on one side with a little white feather on the end.

Kevin perked up immediately and jumped to his feet, tossing his apple core to the side. Min Hee looked a little uncomfortable in the crowded room but upon seeing Kevin she visibly relaxed and walked over to him. They clapped arms briefly, then turned to face everyone.

"The Clave thought you may need some extra hands after the encounters you had last night. My name is Min Hee, I'm a Shadowhunter from the Los Angeles Institute but I also work as a personal assistant to Consul Liam. I'm pleased to meet you all, again anyway." She nodded slightly and everyone tilted their heads back in kind. Arisa, who was standing behind them all simply took a sip of her drink, watching with guarded eyes. Kevin patted Min Hee on the back encouragingly.

"I think that with Min Hee's accompaniment we should be prepared to handle whatever we find tonight at the convergence. Filly was explaining to me earlier that the energy is powerful, enough for a tear at the very least, which explains why there were demons scattered around the mountains."

Damyun continued without pause. "It doesn't, however, explain the presence of fledglings since vampires are earthborn. So that's another mystery we need to solve tonight." Damyun looked back at Arisa who downed her drink without flinching and nodded in agreement.

"The plan I offer is this, we will portal to the location of the convergence and upon arriving, split into two groups. One will stay behind to investigate the convergence and the other will go into the surrounding jungle to seek out any or all fledglings that might lead us to their origins. Someone has to be siring these vampires and we need to know who that is because they are no friend to the Shadowhunters or the Downworld."

Sho looked around the room to get a feel for everyone's compliance and was heartened to see that they seemed on board. Personally, he didn't like the idea of leaving anyone behind, but with the added protection he couldn't argue against completing two tasks at the same time.

"How will we split the groups?" asked Eric.

"Filly had mentioned that it made sense for her and Shakara to stay at the convergence. Their abilities with magic are what we need to properly get an understanding of this thing. It was our hope that you would stay with them Eric, to act as protection and in the case of healing we know where you are at all times." Damyun looked at Eric expectantly.

"Sure thing. I don't think I should be accompanying any group that's looking for fledglings anyways. Bad blood you know, werewolves and vampires. No pun intended." Shakara giggled at Eric's bad joke, apparently back on good terms with him.

The ups and downs of seelie emotions were giving Sho whiplash.

"I'm also going to stay behind with you at the convergence, as is Min Hee. Two Shadowhunters and a werewolf should suffice for protection. And we will not be caught off guard this time." Damyun shot Shoji a look and he was instantly defensive. He already felt guilty about the attack that injured Filly and didn't need Damyun making him feel worse about it.

 _He killed the cursed thing in the end anyways!_

"So that leaves Sho, Arisa and I to go track down the fledglings. Sounds great!" Kevin was looking pretty excited, he was picking his knees up to his stomach and stretching. Next to him Min Hee was mocking his movements and pointing out other muscles that may need to be loosened up.

Their light-hearted banter faded into the sounds of the room as various conversations started up at once. Bella and Damyun were talking in whispered tones, Damyun holding Bella's hand gently in his own. He seemed to be consoling her for not joining them.

Shakara was now completely out of her ditch and conversing with Eric by the window. They still had an air of agitation to their expressions but seemed to be civil enough while discussing tactics and healing techniques. Eric had his pointer finger resting on the bridge of his glasses like he normally did while thinking deeply.

Filly had crossed the room to Arisa at the drink bar. They were standing close, arms gently resting against each other and Filly's long blond hair and horns obscured her face. Arisa's scowl had softened as she laid her hand gently on Filly's lower back. As they spoke Filly was wringing her hands together but had a focus in her eyes. Sho imagined she was nervous about the night ahead, and he felt uncharacteristically touched when he realized how it might pain the two of them to be apart during the mission.

He also felt a familiar weight in his gut as he watched them. Even after talking with Filly outside the Institute he wasn't sure where his reactions came from. He felt a longing he had never experienced before for someone to feel that way about him. To send him off to battle, as it were.

He understood then, with a painful jolt, that he was standing alone in the crowded room. No one came up to talk with him or discuss the night ahead. He felt more an outsider than perhaps he had ever felt. With the weight in his stomach and loneliness heavy on his back he strode toward the door and returned to his room in silence.

* * *

Once he was changed and had centered himself for the night ahead, Sho returned to the parlor to join the group.

Everyone was already gathered and standing in a cluster. The ditch had been filled and covered again with the rug and all the furniture had been pushed back against the walls. Sho saw the other Shadowhunters were bringing in cots from the infirmary and medical supplies that may be needed upon their return.

They were keeping themselves busy preparing the room but Sho could tell they were all still in mourning. They walked around robotically with sad and defeated expressions on their faces and Sho realized Damyun had probably made the best decision ordering them to stay behind.

The curtains in the windows had been pulled shut but Sho knew that daylight had long since fled the sky. The room was brightly lit with old, incandescent bulbs hanging on the walls from ancient-looking metal fixtures. As he walked toward the group his heavy boots hit the carpet with an authoritative thrum. Kevin turned to face him as he approached and a wide, comforting grin spread across his face. He was alive and electric with the anticipation of the coming mission. Sho answered his zeal with his own smile and the parabatai clapped forearms together.

Kevin stepped back and allowed Sho into the circle. Everyone was ready; Filly and Shakara had changed but Eric was still wearing the same baggy khaki pants and oversized plaid button-down shirt rolled up at the sleeves. Filly was in shorts that emphasized her long legs and an oversized white mesh top with a solid block that wrapped around her back. Shakara was surprisingly understated in a short purple skater dress with black spanks and Keds, her chain and dagger wrapped around her waist like a belt.

"Is everyone alright if I begin?" Filly looked around at their faces and when no one answered she stepped forward, hands aglow, and carved the portal out of the air before them. The swirling darkness beckoned them like a pounding speaker and the falling sparks crashed soundlessly onto the carpet. Damyun led the charge forward through the portal, followed by the rest of the group.

Sho turned to see the Bangkok Shadowhunters watch them go, their sullen faces fading into the darkness as he stepped through and his feet sunk into the wet earth on the other side.

They had arrived beside the same crippled shack from before. The ground and tall grasses around them were glimmering with dew in the moonlight. The sole lantern was dark until Filly flicked a finger toward it and a weak glow spread across their silhouettes. The portal was already closing behind them with a gentle fizzing sound and then the stillness of night covered everything.

The view was spectacular when Sho looked up to the sky. The stars seemed to have brightened after the storms of the day and the Milky Way was clear and defined, arching its way from one mountaintop to another.

"Eric, we need a perimeter run if you can manage." Damyun was pulling out his katar and slipping them onto his hands. Eric nodded wordlessly and jogged off behind the hut. After a moment, Sho saw a large, black wolf with the thick mane of a lion darting off across the field at an unearthly speed. Werewolves were the fastest of all the Downworld in their transfigured form. Eric disappeared in a blur out of sight, making his way around the edge of the field.

Kevin finished drawing some runes on Min Hee's upturned arms and she shook her sleeve down thanking him. Then he walked over to Sho to draw runes on each other. Sho turned his back and lifted his shirt exposing the skin at his waist. Kevin leaned down and pressed the stele to his skin, carving out the runes for speed, agility, sure-footed steps, strength and night vision. Then Kevin turned and pulled his shirt collar down and Sho drew the same runes on his exposed shoulder. They finished by wiping the stele over their parabatai runes and then Sho felt the familiar sting of energy humming within him.

It was like the strongest caffeine high he could imagine.

Arisa gave Filly's hand one last touch and then walked over to join Kevin and Sho. The vampire's eyes were narrowed and the lantern light made her translucent skin appear tight over her cheekbones. She was as fierce and frightening in her beauty as Sho had ever recalled.

"Don't worry Arisa, we'll get to the bottom of these fledglings. Sho and I have your back, right my parabatai?" Kevin elbowed Sho hard in the ribs and Sho shot him an unamused glare. Arisa didn't say anything, but looked at the two of them thoughtfully and the smallest smile cracked under her stern expression.

"Just like old times, the boys and me. I'm glad we will do this together." She turned to Sho and he felt comforted by her gaze. When Arisa looked at him, he felt he was truly being seen.

He smiled at her and then they turned to the group. Eric had returned and was walking out from behind the hut in his disheveled clothing. His dark skin was shining with sweat and he was shaking his head at Damyun while adjusting his glasses.

"I couldn't find anything around here, but I picked up the scent of vampire over toward that mountain." He pointed over behind Sho to the dark outline of a rounded mountaintop that sloped up quickly from the field.

"It smelled like more than a few," he continued. "Are you sure you three can handle it alone?"

Arisa crossed her arms and answered firmly. "If we can find them I'm sure at least some can be reasoned with. If you could smell that many, there have to be some that have matured beyond a few days." She sounded hopeful and Sho found himself wanting to believe her. If there were any vampires that had survived beyond the first couple days they would be clear-headed enough to answer questions if nothing else.

"Let's get going then," Sho suggested, now eager to get going and find some answers.

"Yes, alright. Be safe you three. We will meet back here before dawn. If we encounter any trouble we cannot handle we will have Filly send up red sparks into the sky. If you're able, that will be your sign to assist." Damyun pressed his palms together in farewell and Sho's group returned the gesture.

Filly was watching them with a hand clenched in a fist against her chest. Shakara was beside her looking as serene and indifferent as ever. Eric nodded farewell and Min Hee stared down at the twin-bladed tonfa in her hands.

The three of them turned and started down the muddy path toward the ends of the field into the jungle at the foot of the mountain. Kevin and Arisa pulled ahead and were talking in hushed voices. Sho looked back over his shoulder seeing the others grow smaller and further away. He saw Filly standing in the same spot, her horns glowing under the yellow lantern light and her eyes fixed on him. Her gaze was strong and Sho felt the air between them pulled taut like a thread.

With considerable effort, he broke away and turned to catch up to Arisa and Kevin.


	12. Chapter 12 - Thisula

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 12 - Thisula

(In the mountains outside of Phi Ta Khon)

* * *

The jungle that spread the expanse of the mountainside was ringing with the chatter of birds and insects. A monsoon that had drenched the north had left the wildlife feeling restless and energized, well into the night. Sho could hear cicadas and geckos whirring and squeaking in high pitches, and the occasional belt of a gibbon far off in the distance. Moonlight streaked through holes in the canopy and lit small spots, like pixies, resting on the leaves.

Compared to the dark silence in the valley, the jungle was an orchestra of light and sound.

They wove like a snake, upward and deeper into the mountainside. Their pace was slow and careful, all three dedicated to silence while they tried to discern unusual sounds amidst the chatter of nature. Sho kept his scimitars on his back while they trudged through the thicket. He needed his arms free to move away branches and giant fans of ferns that blocked their path. The air was thick and wet with humidity. Sho could smell the musk of wet leather from his gear and felt sweat gathering around the nape of his neck and beading above his brow.

Ahead of him, Arisa was pushing through behind Kevin. She moved more easily than either Sho or Kevin due to her supernatural vampire balance. Even with runes to help them, the parabatai couldn't float over the ground as she could.

Then, all at once, the mad cries of the jungle came to a stunning halt.

As the group slowed to a stop the only sounds came from their feet squelching the soft, wet ground. Then silence, more deafening than the quiet in the valley.

It filled Sho with an internal foreboding from years of Shadowhunter training. He immediately reached for his scimitars and yanked them free with a sharp clang and whispered the names of angels, Kevin doing the same with his broadsword. Arisa simply stood and lowered her head in vigilance.

Even the canopy overhead darkened as the moon was hidden from sight, but Sho saw them before he heard anything.

Like dark statues in the mist, they were scattered around in a wide circle. The three stood surrounded by the closing noose of fledglings, hovering toward them in the stifling stillness. It was impossible to see how many there were and Sho didn't even try. They were clearly outnumbered.

Sho, Arisa, and Kevin arranged themselves in a circle of their own, looking out at the vampires that were edging closer. Sho tightened his grip on his glowing blades and with their blazing blue light, he could begin to make out the fledgling's ashen faces.

Their sunken eyes were hidden by shadows but he could see they were definitely all Thai. As they edged even closer he saw they were dressed in more traditional, simple clothing, which meant they were likely farmers and laborers from the region.

They ranged in ages too, the youngest looking no older than fourteen.

They came to a stop a few yards away and then nothing happened. They didn't speak or move at all. Sho and Kevin continued to shift their weight and sway their weapons in anticipation while Arisa stood as motionless as the fledglings.

"What do you want to do now, Arisa?" Sho asked quietly, his voice carrying far in the humid air. He chanced a glance her way and saw her staring ahead with a furrowed brow.

"I don't think I'll be able to get through to them. Look at their eyes; they're being severely controlled by their sire." She looked at them and took stock of the scene. "They look fed so I doubt they're in bloodlust. They seem to be waiting on orders. I say we wait for the ringleader."

She squared her shoulders again and her face relaxed. She nodded to Sho and Kevin who hesitantly held their weapons at their sides.

They stood in a silent staring battle with the fledglings, who regarded them with foggy, listless eyes.

Ahead of Kevin there was a massive dead tree trunk that lay across a low ridge. The moss-covered wood was pressed into the ground with the weight of years and Sho saw the faces of the surrounding fledglings turn upward toward the plank. The three of them followed their gaze but couldn't see anything.

Sho held his scimitars out wide from his body, expecting an ambush from any direction. He was focused and determined to protect his friends and let himself wonder how the others were faring back in the field.

Then they saw a wild, frizzy mess of hair rise up from behind the decayed trunk. The tight curls bounced ever-so-slightly with each step and they framed a small, delicate face hidden in shadows. The slight figure leaped effortlessly onto the top of the overturned tree and stood with hands on her hips and one leg pointed outward in a cynical posture. She wore a tight, dark tank top and short leather skirt with golden bangles shining from the light of the moon that had finally broken through the trees.

When she lifted her head towards them and Sho finally saw her face he felt the ground give way underneath him. His vision darkened at the edges and he fell hard to his knees, his hands still holding the blades that fell limply on the ground beside him.

He felt Arisa's hand on his shoulder and Kevin came into his line of sight, blocking his view of the woman above. He was speaking to him but Sho couldn't make out any words.

His face felt hot and numb at the same time. His parabatai was aching with concern, shaking Sho's head between his hands. Sho felt the rough skin of Kevin's thumbs on his cheeks, rubbing streaks of sweat away.

Slowly he could hear Kevin's voice return, like a train nearing in a tunnel. Kevin stood and whipped around to yell at the woman on the ledge, holding his broadsword out in front of him.

Kevin's voice was muffled and low, like an engine running underwater. Sho was pulled to his feet by Arisa's strong grip, his eyes just high enough to look over Kevin's shoulder towards the woman.

She looked exactly the same as the worn and faded portrait his father had kept in his wallet. The same wild, curly brown hair and small round face, with high cheekbones and a narrow nose like his own. Her eyes were round with long black lashes sweeping outward. The innermost corners of her eyes were dark and it gave her an indignant look.

If he hadn't felt hot blood flushing his face or the vice grip of Arisa's cold hands on his shoulder, he would be certain he was dreaming that his mother was standing before them. But it was unmistakably her, untouched by age and almost glowing under the moonlight streaking down from above.

She had a small smirk tightening the corner of her mouth and was staring at Sho over Kevin's shoulder in a knowing gaze. As life-changing and devastating as this moment felt to Sho, his mother seemed entirely unsurprised to see him.

 _Thisula_ , Sho recalled from the deep recesses of his mind. _My mother's name was Thisula._

"Answer me!" Kevin was shouting, "How can you be here? You're dead! You've been dead for decades!" Sho could hear him clearly now, his head still ringing but Kevin's voice commanding his attention. He sounded desperate and angrier than Sho had ever heard him before.

"Kevin…" Arisa spoke in a warning tone.

"Well, you aren't entirely wrong, I suppose. I have been dead for over twenty years." Thisula folded her arms lazily across her chest and stared at Kevin in amused contempt, "but I am not concerned with answering any of your questions white knight."

"I will, however, address my son."

She looked back at Sho who felt his mother's stare bore straight through his core. He swallowed and his throat ached and burned from holding back tears. His mouth felt dry and his hands throbbed from their tight grip on his blades.

"Oh, how I've missed you, my darling boy. Won't you come to me? You should embrace your mother." She spoke in a sardonic tone that seemed on the verge of mocking him in her heavy Thai accent.

Sho flinched and dropped one shoulder back. He couldn't stand to hear her voice. It was like sandpaper rubbing over his mind, defacing everything he had spent a lifetime dreaming about. The image he had carried not even a day ago, of a strong, spritely Shadowhunter running along the shore of the Tha Chin, had fallen in crumpling ashes into the pallid calamity of a woman that stood before him.

Kevin and Arisa were exchanging glances and didn't seem to know if they should let events unfold or start wreaking havoc. Through the fog of his disbelief, Sho had a glimmer of clarity and remembered what Filly had said about family. The two standing there were counting on him.

He turned back to his mother who was staring at him expectantly.

"It's not good to keep your mother waiting, " she said as she placed her hands on her hips and tilted her chin at him.

"You're one to talk, you wicked bitc-" Kevin spat.

"Kev, stop. It's alright."

Sho pushed passed his friend and stepped up the slope to face Thisula. He steeled his nerve and tried to ignore his pounding heart ringing in his ears.

"What are you doing here? What's your role in all this?" he asked coldly.

Thisula flipped her hair over one shoulder and patted the long strands thoughtfully, inspecting the ends. "I was hoping to have this conversation with my son alone, but it looks like I'll be forced to put up with your little friends as well. That's fine," she tossed her hair back over her shoulder and looked at them all.

"I see you've met some of my flock. The ones you haven't managed to murder anyway. Do you know how hard it is to build a family like this? Your meddling has cost me some time. Yet, this clan is far more loyal to their creator than you, my darling boy."

There was a soft hissing that trickled in from the circle of the undead. Sho looked around and widened his stance, becoming more aware of their current predicament; being surrounded and outnumbered. He knew he was going to have to talk his way out of this. He wouldn't risk Arisa and Kevin at the expense of whatever it was his mother was trying to accomplish.

"Hard to be a dutiful son when you were orphaned at ten years old," he said carefully.

Thisula was suddenly livid, the veins in her temple pressing outward in a dark hue.

"And who is to blame for that?! The Shadowhunters and their ridiculous, ancient ways are to blame for separating you from me! They all thought they could get rid of me, that I would go silently into banishment and wouldn't enact my revenge upon them all. They are going to be so, so disappointed with that decision," she said, with her small hands clenched into fists at her side.

Sho could see the points of her fangs more clearly with the ferocity of her words and it was like seeing a vampire for the first time. He was struggling endlessly to reconcile his memories with his reality.

"What do you mean you were banished? No one ever told me what happened to you! I thought you had been killed in the line of duty. Father never talked about you; I thought he was just too grief-stricken to bring it up." The words came more easily to Sho now. He was drawn forward and selfishly craved to know the answers to all his questions. He had forgotten about the mission and isolating the fledglings from their sire.

Thisula was pacing now across the tree trunk and waving her arms about in frantic movements. "The Clave and their rules! They would tear the world down to their feet if the angels demanded it of them! Shoji, listen. Your mother was sent away, literally torn from you, and banished from Alicante and the only home I had ever known; all because I refused to fight for them and give up what was most important to me," she declared.

Then, realizing she was losing composure she stopped pacing and rubbed her hands together at her waist. If she had needed to breathe, Sho thought she would have sighed in exasperation.

"I don't understand…" Nothing she said had explained anything. "How did you become...like this?"

"Oh, this?" she gestured to herself. "This is the best thing that ever happened to me. Don't cry for mother, my boy. I wanted this and everything I have managed to do has all been due to my...abilities." She smiled a wicked grin and Sho recoiled, feeling a cold rush go through him as she continued.

"I have found my end, my opportune moment to teach the Clave that they cannot destroy people's hearts without consequences. Together with my new family," she held out an arm and swept it around the jungle, "I will show them."

Arisa stepped forward then, looking up at Thisula with contempt.

"You have no right to call the Night's Children your family. You are no mother to vampires. You can sire as many as you like, but that does not make you one of us. The Praetor will save these fledglings and bring them into our fold. They don't have to follow whatever sick plan you have for them," she spoke out to the circle around her, entreating them to hear her words even though they couldn't understand.

"On the contrary, _sister,_ we are all damned. That makes us exactly alike in the eyes of the Clave, no matter how much they may preach _peace_ ," Thisula spat the word like a bitter seed then suddenly rushed down from the trunk in a flash, halting a foot away from Arisa. Kevin and Sho started forward but Arisa held out a hand to stop them.

She didn't draw back at Thisula's advancement but stared her directly in the eyes. Arisa stood a little taller than his mother, but Sho felt Thisula's brazen confidence made her seem much larger than she was.

"You can join us if you'd like. You are quite the pretty one, little pet. You could be an acceptable match for my son." Thisula looked from Arisa to Sho with an audacious smile on her face. Sho swallowed the bitter taste growing in his mouth.

A small laugh escaped Arisa. "You have no idea with whom you are speaking, child. I am older than you can possibly comprehend and more powerful than you or any of your infantile subjugates." Sho felt empowered by Arisa's words and swelled with a kind of pride. Kevin also looked pleased by what she said and smiled playfully, looking more like himself.

Sho's mother shrugged and rolled her eyes. "No matter. The oldest vampire in the world is no match for hellspawn…"

She turned her back and leaped in a blur back up onto the fallen tree. She shouted something in Thai that Sho couldn't understand and then the mass of fledglings was up on the ledge beside her. There looked to be more than fifty lined up behind and beside her. They were all facing away with shoulders dropped, and for a moment Sho thought how incredibly sad a sight they were. Like a pack of undead slaves intended for his mother's whims.

If she had indeed sired all of them, then they were in her debt and her power over their minds was strong, especially at this young stage. Feeling defeated, he realized that neither the Clave nor the Downworld would be able to reach out and win them over with the promises of what the Praetor Lupus could offer. They would have no willpower to make their own choices as long as his mother was bonded to them.

Thisula looked back and fixed her eyes on Sho. Her fangs showed through her thin lips and he watched the moonlight gleam in her narrowed eyes. With another flash of shadows they were gone behind the slope and Kevin, Arisa and himself were left standing in the brush, as the chatter of the jungle slowly rose up around them.


	13. Chapter 13 - Rush Into Battle

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 13 - Rush Into Battle

(In the mountains outside of Phi Ta Khon)

* * *

They silently made their way back down the mountain. Having found the origin of the fledglings and seeing just how many of them there were, they had decided to report back to the group before following after Thisula. Taking on a small army of vampires wasn't a mission they could handle on their own, or without permission from the Clave.

As it was, Sho was emotionally spent. He felt the same as he would after any other battle; his muscles ached and his head throbbed from the absence of adrenaline that set in after fifteen or so minutes of jungle trekking.

Sho had elected to lead the troupe, not wanting to see either one of his friends faces looking back on him during the trip. His scimitars were back on his cross holster having never seen any fighting. He was following the same path they had cut earlier, stepping on crushed ferns and plant life and over stones and streams of dark water.

He was playing out the whole scene in his head. He turned over every word and phrase his mother had said, looking for meaning and trying to glean answers to his still unanswered questions. The initial shock had been pulled aside like stage curtains, and now he was staring at the black emptiness beyond.

Flashes of images shot forward; his mother's wild untamed hair, her white, pointed fangs, the way her accent changed the rhythm of her speech, the unnatural speed at which she moved. Most striking of all was the way she referred to him. It was like she had forgotten what a mother should do and say so she was repeating phrases that seemed appropriate. There was no warmth behind her words, no sense of praise or relief in seeing her only child again.

Like her hardened skin and dark eyes, everything about her was cold.

He was staring down at the path ahead when the pressed leaves shone with a soft pink light in the darkness. Confused, Sho stopped and raised his head, where a fan of red sparks was flying like a flock of geese across the sky over them. The crimson glow covered his tired face and made his eyes sparkle.

There was a brief moment when he felt calm and at ease, like a child staring up at fireworks. Then a deep dread filled his chest as he realized the situation.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash as Arisa whizzed by him. She was running at full vampire speed through the jungle and within a second she was gone. The sight of her kicked his Shadowhunter reflexes into action and he took off, full tilt, with Kevin behind him. After a few steps his feet seemed to barely make contact with the ground as he flew through the brush and launched himself over rocks and fallen trees. His high ponytail was whipping around his neck and his gear stretched and creaked with each extension of his legs and arms.

He pulled out his stele and waved it quickly across his chest and over his arms as he ran to ignite the runes Kevin had drawn. He could feel it add an intensity to his movements.

The parabatai made it down the rest of the mountain in record time. They came careening out of the jungle into the open field as the last remnants of red sparks hung high in the sky like scarlet stars.

They could see flashes of light, blue and gold, in the center of the field by the hut. Without stopping they doubled their speed on the solid ground and sprinted toward the action. Kevin pulling his sword over his left shoulder and running with it pointed behind him, and Sho grabbing two throwing knives from his belt. He could see hulking black demons moving around the fray ahead of them. There seemed to be a few larger ravenor demons with countless smaller shax demons racing around like sheepdogs in a flock.

Stretching one arm over his back, Sho let a throwing knife fly through his outstretched hand. He saw it make contact with a shax demon that was crawling on Eric's transfigured form. Eric whipped his large wolfed head around to grab the injured shax demon in his vice grip and tear it off him, throwing it to the ground where it twitched and seemed to melt quickly into the ground.

Grabbing the second knife, Sho aimed and sent it spinning and colliding with another shax demon that was making its way towards the werewolf. Eric's mane of black fur was spiked up around his shoulders as he pounced on the demon and tore its spiky, blackened head from its body.

They caught up to Eric and nodded at the tremendous wolf before running past. Eric's lime green eyes glowed brightly and thick, dark anchor dripped from his toothed grin. Sho could have sworn he saw a smile twitch out of the corner of the werewolf's snout. He reached up and yanked his scimitars free as Eric took off again towards Shakara.

Shakara was battling three shax demons on her own. She had unwound the dagger and chain from her waist and was spinning it over her head like a lasso. She swept it downward, lashing out at the ant-like creatures in front of her. She was laughing in a high-pitched squeal that revealed the fun she was having. She whipped the chain and caught the handle of the blade in front of her face. Then she closed her eyes and laid her hands face down in front of her.

"Werewolf! Fall back!" she yelled excitedly as Eric came to a dragging stop. The hem of her dress was waving about as small stones lifted off the ground and levitated at her feet. When she opened her eyes, they were blazing white and she was smiling widely.

As Sho watched he felt the ground shake slightly and saw all three shax demons suddenly fall into deep cracks in the earth that spread in thin arcs around Shakara. More shax demons lunged forward but couldn't see the danger and tumbled down out of sight before her. Then, she pulled the chain through her hand like rope and sent the dagger flying out across the crevices. It slipped through the body of a demon with a sickening crack and then she pulled the chain toward her, yanking the body forward. The demon flew through the air and landed in the split earth, the chain rippling the dagger free back to Shakara's waiting hand.

The faerie obviously didn't need any assistance at the moment.

Ahead, Sho could see the golden light from Filly's naginata swinging in glittery arches around her. Her hair was flying about her horns, caught up in the gold rings and chains. She wore a focused, angry expression as she fought and her white mesh top was splattered with black demon blood.

She was fighting a ravenor demon that was already missing its tail. Filly wasn't going to fall for that trick again Sho thought, smirking to himself. Arisa was at her back, holding a long staff with both hands that she was using to hit away oncoming shax demons with ease like golf balls.

"Sho! Look out!" Kevin shouted. Caught up in watching the women fight, Sho didn't see the galloping ravenor demon coming at him from the right. Kevin grabbed Sho's holster and pulled him back, using the momentum to place himself in front of the oncoming monster. Sho fell back on the ground as the demon hit Kevin head-on and the two went spinning head over heels into the overgrown grass.

Kevin tumbled out into a crouched position, his broadsword in one hand. His other hand clutched his chest as he tried to recover his breath. Sho pressed his fists into the ground behind his head and launched his legs into the air, righting himself to a standing position. He started running to Kevin as the demon came up behind him. Sho's blades lit up in an ethereal blue light as he twisted them behind him.

Still recovering from the force of which he had been hit, Kevin didn't sense the recovered demon behind him, running toward his exposed back with mouth agape.

"Get down Kev!" Sho shouted, his arms pumping back and forth at his sides. Kevin looked up at him open mouthed and understood what his parabatai wanted to do. He fell forward in a low push-up on the ground just as Sho leaped over him and came down to knee the ravenor demon in the head. Sho raised his arms and stuck both scimitars into the back of the demon's shoulders as it cried out and pushed both of them to the ground.

Kevin had rolled out of the way and was getting up, gripping his sword with both hands. With a shout he swung the blade out in front of him, cutting the demon across the side in a spray of pitch black blood. Sho was pinned under the heaving body. He felt the last ragged breath leave the demons fanged mouth and then wriggled himself free, gritting his teeth to the oppressive stench that wafted off the melting corpse.

"Thanks," he said to Kevin, pulling his scimitars free from the disintegrating mess in front of them. "Are you alright?"

Kevin was hunched over with one hand on his hip and the other leaning on his sword. He smiled to himself and then stood up straight, spinning the hilt in his hand with a newfound energy.

"Well, that one sucked! Let's do it again."

Sho couldn't help himself and let out a laugh as they glanced around and took in the scene. Eric and Shakara were facing off another huge ravenor demon close to the hut and Damyun had joined them. Out in the open field Min Hee, Arisa and Filly were being pushed back to the tree line by a small horde.

Seeing their rate of retreat it was obvious they needed help and the parabatai took off running to aid them.

The field was brightly lit by moonlight and a clear, star-laden sky. Sho could see the iridescent reflection off the backs of the ravenor demons and the dark shade of the tree line beckoning the dueling group. Sho and Kevin worked their way around to the right and came at the demons from the side, slashing and hacking away the smaller ones.

"Sho! Look up!" Arisa shouted over the clamor of the battle. Sho looked her way and saw her lift up a shax demon with the end of her staff, sending it soaring through the air towards him. Baffled, Sho turned to the side and lifted one blade up to connect with the flailing creature, using the momentum to cut it down at his feet. Its body broke up and splattered from the force upon hitting the ground, the backsplash spraying his face with gore.

Arisa turned and smiled at him and his heart swelled with pride. He was in his element at last. This was how he could be useful.


	14. Chapter 14 - Magic Users

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 14 - Magic Users

(In a field outside of Phi Ta Khon)

* * *

Swinging his blades about him, Sho rushed the remaining demons, cutting down the smaller ones in a blaze of blue. They had managed to take back the momentum of the fight and were working to push the monsters back to the hut.

When Sho looked over at the tiny shack he saw another ravenor crawling and scraping its way out from under the foundation. It all felt eerily similar to last time. The demon whipped its tail around and shook its head like a wet dog before sprinting off towards them.

Sho turned back and searched the battle for Filly. She was stabbing the end of her naginata downward into the head of a slain ravenor. The golden light from her blade seared the flesh sending a smoking mist into the air, clouding her body.

He ran towards her, passing Kevin and Min Hee who were working in a perfect tandem against the last of the remaining ravenors. Min Hee was darting around the beast making little cuts and forcing its movements with her tonfa. Kevin was yelling and keeping the demon's attention while she worked and when the creature lunged forward in desperation he was able to slide under its head and thrust his shining sword up into its chest cavity.

The ravenor let out in a crude, shrill cry. Min Hee jumped onto its back and reached down to cut the head from the body, her hair flying wildly in thick strands and her face alight with the rush.

Sho made it up to Filly as she was swinging her naginata around to keep a shax demon at bay. Unlike Min Hee, she looked disgusted and not at all comfortable with the intensity of the fighting. Sho could see scratches and cuts on her bare legs and arms, and her knees were scraped and covered with dirt. She was not a warrior, and though she had likely learned how to fight over her long lifespan, it was painfully obvious this was not her favorite activity.

"We need to do something about the hut! The demons keep crawling out of there!" Sho yelled to her. She looked at him surprised and nodded hesitantly. He swung his blades around in an intricate pattern of footwork that ended with slashing under a shax demon sending its lifeless form flying away from them both. Filly looked on, impressed.

"Shakara and I were analyzing the convergence but I think we just made it worse. I can put up a temporary ward if you can get me there," she spoke in a breathless voice.

The light from her staff fizzled out and her face was shadowed by the blue light emitted from his scimitars. It emphasized the shadows under her eyes and Sho knew they would have to act quickly if she was going to have enough magic to generate a protective ward.

"Stay close to me and I'll get you over there." Sho pointed his weapon toward the hut and Filly started jogging. He followed beside and slashed out at a demon that was jumping towards them. He saw Arisa ripping another demon apart with her hands that she had pinned down with her heel. She looked up and saw Sho with Filly and sprinted over in a flash. She fell in step on Filly's other side and reached out to grasp her hand as they ran. Their magical weapons fell behind and flickered away in a gold dust cloud.

Sho ran out ahead of them, cutting down the few remaining demons in their path. The ravenor from before was now battling Min Hee and Kevin and the fight had moved closer to the center of the field where the hut stood. Damyun was on his way to help with the ravenor, his stride purposeful and his blades glowing dimly under the thick coat of demon blood.

Sho saw Eric and Shakara running towards him. The werewolf made it to them quickly and tightly turned around to run behind, covering their backs. Shakara had stopped ahead of them and was watching their approach while twisting the chain around her waist again and letting the blood-soaked dagger dangle at her side.

When they finally made it up to her she was tapping her bare foot in feigned impatience with a feisty look on her face. She had apparently abandoned her boots at some point during the fighting.

"It is, perhaps, time to do something about this vexing little convergence," she smiled at them. She didn't look tired, but Sho could hear that her usual snappy tone was strained and sounded flat. Eric made a sharp huffing noise that seemed to indicate either his agreement or impatience for Shakara's nonchalance.

"Filly said she could put up a ward. That should hold them off for a while at least, right?" Sho looked to Filly who nodded back at him, still catching her breath from the run across the field. He wished so badly then that warlocks could handle the angelic power of runes so he could give her some relief.

Shakara looked at Filly with an expression that seemed to understand Sho's concerns. "Are you able to do this, warlock? I will assist however I can."

Filly nodded tightly. "If you could somehow suppress the demons enough for me to put up the ward that would be very helpful." She walked up to the side of the hut, her hands aglow, and Shakara followed along. They were an odd pair, the tall, monochromatic warlock and the petite, colorful faerie. They stood side by side a few yards from the aged wooden walls with hands outstretched.

Eric, Arisa and Sho stood back, watching in anticipation. Behind them, the rest of the group was assembling, still panting from their fight. Sho looked back at his parabatai who winked at him encouragingly, sliding his bloody sword into its holster on his back. Damyun was restlessly twisting his blades around in his hands and Min Hee was standing with her arms crossed, her tonfa already hanging on her hips. She looked the most banged up out of them all, but that wasn't surprising seeing the scrappy way she fought.

"You may want to retreat a few steps more! The magic of the fair folk can be a bit destructive!" Shakara spoke loudly over the rising tumult.

Wind was rushing out from under the hut in gusts; grit and dust spewed outward and everyone had to shield their faces from the stinging dark clouds. Shakara turned her head to face them, her white eyes shining and her hair flying wildly about her head. She laughed unashamedly, as if there was no other thing she would rather be doing than suppressing powerful demonic energies in the middle of abandoned Thai farmland.

Filly was nearly the opposite, her figure still and immovable against the wind. Her long, curled horns were glowing slightly with the force of her magic and a thin, gold band was starting to light up the perimeter of the hut.

Sho looked out from under his arm that shielded his face and saw a black tangle of demon limbs reaching out from under the hut. They looked like squid tentacles unfurling from an underwater crevice. They were moving as if time had slowed around them, which Sho imagined was because of Shakara's spell. Rows of shining white teeth and glowing red and white eyes stared back at them through the clouds of dust that continued to spray outwards.

The ragged, butchered flesh around their faces and glistening bodies were twisting in odd angles as they tried to push their way out from under the wooden foundation. There was a loud crashing noise mixed with the splintering of wood, and they could see the demons had broken through the floor inside and were crawling about looking for an exit. They were still moving in slow motion but now reached out through the open windows as well as underneath the hut. There were dozens of them, enough to fill the space to capacity and by sheer numbers they were pushing out further and further from their magical prison.

Sho and the rest of the group took their weapons out again, waiting for any of the monsters to break free and make a run at them.

Shakara's hands were splayed out in front of her and her fingers contorted unnaturally with the force of the magic she was producing. The darkness that had covered her face back in the parlor had returned to blanket her eyes and hair. It made her white eyes look all the more luminous and her appearance quite terrifying. She opened her mouth as if shouting but no sound came out over the noise of the growing tempest around them.

The demons pressed on, trying desperately and frantically to escape the force that held them. Shakara was glowing a green that tinted the air around her like smog and the earth around her feet was rising to cover her legs.

Sho watched as the wooden structure began to concave as if pressed upon from the outside. The beams splintered and cracked and the roof caved in, falling on the writhing mass of demons inside. Within a few seconds the whole hut had collapsed on top of the demons, pressing them into the ground.

The rest of the group was watching in awe. Showcasing faerie magic like this was rare and there were few that had a chance to see it. Unlike warlocks, who inherited individual power from their demonic parentage, the fair folk were as old as the earth itself and could share and draw power from each other and all of nature, evil and divine.

The sky was turning a lighter shade of navy and the stars had begun to fade away. Sho shifted restlessly knowing that dawn was approaching. Arisa would need to hide soon from the rays of daybreak. He looked over at her and saw she had already realized this, her gaze locked on the mountain range behind the crumbling hut where the sun would rise.

A sparkling dome was taking shape over the remains of the hut. Filly's ward was beginning to form and cover the area in front of them. It became opaquer as she moved her arms around in long slow movements. Her hands were hidden in the bright light they produced and her eyes were shut tightly in concentration. Her hair was being whipped around by the wind still shooting out from the sizeable heap that was once the hut. The dark mass of demons was now almost completely hidden from view as the pile of splintered wood continued to press downward into the earth.

Shakara was now up to her waist in dirt and the greenish glow around her was fading away. The winds started to die down and the oppressive noise from the imploding wood pile was easing. The blackness around her eyes was also sinking back into her skin and her eyes rolled backward in her head.

She started to collapse forward, already unconscious, as Eric rushed forward to scrape away the mound of earth she was bonded in. Sho rushed forward as well, catching her small, limp body as it was freed by the wolf's frantic digging. He pulled her out and Eric turned his massive wolf body around so Sho could lay her over his back. Then with one hand on her shoulder they ran back to the others.

Filly's golden dome was now almost entirely hiding the convergence site from view. She slowly lowered her hands and stepped back unsteadily, swaying in exhaustion. Arisa was immediately at her side, placing Filly's arm over her shoulder to support her weight. Filly's hair was dark with sweat and her face seemed all the paler because of it.

They started back to the group and Sho saw Filly smile weakly back at them in accomplishment. It didn't last long. Her expression suddenly fell and the others followed her gaze to behind them, back towards the tree line.

A dark mob of figures was approaching soundlessly towards them.


	15. Chapter 15 - Pain That Burns

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 15 - Pain That Burns

(In a field outside of Phi Ta Khon)

* * *

Sho knew immediately who they were. He looked to Kevin whose eyes conveyed the same understanding.

The clan of vampires moved quickly over the field, pulled together in a tight group. At the head, Sho saw his mother leading them. She strode in high-heeled wedges but balanced perfectly as she stalked towards them; her curly brown hair blowing like a cape around her shoulders with the same gnostic look wiped across her face. The vacant fledglings behind her seemed to be drawn forward like moths to a light.

Sho and the others spread out in a line facing them. Damyun walked up beside Sho and leaned in, keeping his eyes on the vampires.

"I take it this is the cause of the fledglings?" he asked.

"Yes. The woman leading them is called Thisula. She sired all of them but it's still unclear how many there actually are. We met them in the jungle but there seemed to be more than there are now." Sho was surveying the group which seemed to be more than thirty vampires short of the one they encountered on the mountain.

"What do you know of her? How is she involved with the convergence?"

"We aren't sure yet. She is obviously behind it but we don't know how she was able to create the convergence, vampires don't have any magic. But her motives seem to be vengeful." He looked at Damyun with the most unreadable look he could muster.

"She's my mother," he added lastly.

Damyun's face didn't betray his stern leadership skills. He turned away and twisted his wrists around, shrugging his shoulders. "I see. I trust this isn't a matter of familial loyalty."

"My family stands beside me, sir," Sho said firmly "and it's their welfare I'm concerned with. We need to get Arisa away before the sun rises. I'm not sure what my mother plans to do here, but it can't be to fight because they will have to retreat to the jungle soon as well." He looked back at the dome sparkling behind them. "And we need to leave to decide our next steps."

"Come with me then. We shall see what she wants," Damyun gestured as he walked ahead.

Sho nodded at Kevin who came over to hold Shakara steady on Eric' back. Then he took off to catch up with Damyun. They came to a standstill out in the open field in front of the vampires, who had also stopped. They stood absolutely motionless, their skin shining like scales as the dark blue light of early morning lit their faces.

"My name is Damyun, Shadowhunter of the Bangkok Institute," Damyun shouted authoritatively across the distance. "Tell us your business here, vampire!"

Thisula smiled mischievously. "Another Shadowhunter. You're spread like a cancer in this realm. I look forward to cleansing the world of your kind."

"You forget yourself, vampire. You were once a Shadowhunter too."

Thisula hissed and gritted her pointed teeth but said nothing. She turned her gaze to Sho and tilted her head.

"And my son, my darling Shoji. I wanted to ask you again to join your mother. I was not as gentle as I should have been before. I know that you have missed me and you want to know why I left you. I can share everything with you if you'll join me. I'll explain it all and you'll understand why something must be done to stop the Clave."

She reached out her hands towards him. "Come to me my boy."

Sho could see Damyun looking at him in his peripheral vision, but his eyes were fixed on his mother. He wanted so badly to go to her, even now. To hold her and impress upon her the image he still had in his head; the fantasies he had conjured of her holding him as a baby. He imagined that his little hands had once reached out to hold her finger or caress her cheek.

But in his fantasy her skin was warm and sun-baked. He knew, looking at her as she was now that her skin was hard and cold. She would not be wiping tears from his face with the soft, loving expression he had seen on that mother in Daikanyama. He would, instead, forever be the little boy crying on the curb.

He looked at her and willed back the tears that welled in his eyes.

"I may have your blood, but you are not my home," he said calmly, "and I will stop you from causing any more harm to those I love."

Thisula grew angry again, her face set in a stern expression.

"Then you will be sacrificed with the rest of them," she growled in a low hiss and stepped back, disappearing into the fledglings. Damyun took a step forward, blades raised, but Sho held out a hand and grabbed his arm.

"We can't go after her now. We need to get everyone back to the Institute. Shakara and Filly can't help us in their state and we can't take on the convergence and my mother without them."

He implored Damyun who nodded in agreement and stepped back. They turned away from the fledglings and jogged back toward the others. Sho saw shining orange and yellow hues glowing behind the mountain range and knew they only had moments before the sun came streaking directly onto the field.

Seeing them return, Filly straightened as best she could while still holding Arisa's shoulders. She used one hand to begin forming the portal that would take them back. The swirling purple ripples mixed with the falling white sparks and the portal took shape behind them. Everyone turned towards it and gathered around.

When Filly dropped her arm Sho saw her face was really too pale and the light around her hand was dull. Kevin led Eric and Shakara through the portal first, followed by Min Hee who helped to carry Filly through. Arisa stayed behind and was staring at the crowd of fledglings standing motionless in the middle of the field.

"What are they still doing there, Sho-chan?" she asked warily.

Sho and Damyun turned around. The fledgling's faces were cast upward toward the sunrise and their fists were clenched at their sides. They looked terrified now, their eyes gleaming and mouths slightly opened as if they were panting. Sho couldn't believe they were still standing there. Sunlight was already shining on the mountain behind them, working its way slowly down, edging closer.

Too close.

Thisula was nowhere to be seen as Sho searched their faces.

"Sho, get Arisa through the portal. Quickly," Damyun spoke in a harsh whisper. Sho looked at him confused as Damyun reached for Arisa's arm. She pulled away angrily.

"We need to help them! They will die out here, it's too exposed!" She was beginning to yell frantically. She started towards the vampires but Damyun grabbed her by the waist and held her tight.

Sho looked from Arisa to the fledglings and suddenly understood.

Thisula had left them there to die. She wanted Sho and the others to see them burn up in the daylight without being able to move. Under her powerful sire bond they were frozen in place. They couldn't go anywhere with her having ordered them to stay.

"No! NO! We need to help them, Sho! _Tasukeru_! Help me!" Arisa was shouting pitifully, pushing Damyun away with her hands trying to break free of his grip. She scrambled to the ground and Damyun went crashing down with her as she tried to crawl toward the fledglings.

"Help me get her out of here!" Damyun struggled to keep a hold on her as she lashed out. She was far stronger than him, but Damyun was using all his weight to hold her to the ground. Her eyes were wild and she was crying streaks of blood down her face.

Sho hurried over and grabbed one of her outstretched arms yanking her to a standing position. Sunlight had already reached the fledglings and smoke was rising from the cluster, followed by shrieks of pain and a wailing that made Sho sick.

Arisa was wailing too, shouting out in Japanese to her fellow Night's Children that were slowly burning to death under the full force of the sun. They collapsed to their knees on the ground and their cries spread out across the field, flames reaching skyward from their burning bodies.

Sho strained with Damyun to drag Arisa back towards the portal. She scratched at them and bared her fangs, her face contorted in anger and pain. Her skin was steaming and red from the sun that had crept downward to cover them. They heaved her back and pulled her kicking and screaming through the portal as the dying cries of the fledglings faded behind them in the bright light of day.


	16. Chapter 16 - Tide By Moonlight

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 16 - Tide By Moonlight

(The Bangkok Institute, Thailand)

* * *

Sho sat at Shakara's bedside in the Downworld parlor, where cots had been left for her and Filly to recover from their ordeal. Min Hee had used one for a short while but insisted she was fine and demanded to be returned to her room.

They had all been taking turns sitting with Shakara through the day. It was now night again, and the curtains had been pulled back so that the moonlight would fill the space in a soft white sheen. The only other light was a solitary lamp on an end table by the door.

Sho was sitting cross-legged in the lounge chair they had pulled up between the cots. It was turned to face Shakara's bed, as she hadn't woken up since the night before. Filly had passed out shortly after they returned but could be woken when they had food or drink for her. She was asleep now as well, curled up on her side facing away from Sho. One large, ivory ram horn and a spill of blonde hair all that was visible above the thin blue bed sheets.

Shakara was in a kind of coma it seemed. Nothing they did could wake her but she didn't seem to have injuries or pain of any kind. Damyun had sent a fire message to the Seelie Court to ask if there was anything to be done to help her, but the reply had been that she would heal herself given enough rest. The court seemed pretty curt actually, as if such an answer was obvious. Damyun had scowled and tossed the note into the air where it crumpled into ash.

Bella and the Shadowhunter Mo had washed and dressed Shakara in a simple white nightgown. Her hair was back to its prismatic tones and the jewels in her pointed ears were shining. She lay peacefully asleep, wearing a slight smile on her lips like she was remembering something pleasant. It was exactly how Sho imagined a faerie would look while sleeping; beautifully unaware and annoyingly serene.

Her chest was rising and falling steadily and Sho felt himself dozing off while watching her. One arm was resting on the chair holding his head. His long hair was still damp from the shower. He ran the heavy strands through his fingers absentmindedly.

He had plenty of time to think about the events that had transpired. He frowned, remembering that only a few days before he had been daydreaming of his mother walking through the very same building he was sitting in. The thought of her as she was now; cold and hard and manipulative stalking around the Institute made him feel queasy.

The fact that she was even alive, in whatever form, was still a bit unfathomable. He hated to admit to himself that he had faltered for a moment when she asked him to go with her. He wanted to know what had happened to her. He wanted to know more about his father.

Was everything he knew about them a lie? Was he, in fact, the son of disgraced Shadowhunters and his lineage tainted by tragedy and scandal? He never put much weight in other's opinions but even he had limits to his own self-assured nature.

He heard the soft rustling of sheets behind him. He turned his shoulders to look around the chair and saw Filly's blue eyes staring sleepily back at him. He got up immediately and moved to her bedside. He sat gently on the edge of the cot and reached for the pitcher of water on the bedside table. He poured a small glass and handed it to her as she propped herself up on her elbows. She took the glass wordlessly and drank the whole thing, handing the glass back to Sho who placed it on the table.

He rested his hands awkwardly on his lap and surveyed her face. In the moonlight he could see she had her color back and the dark circles under her eyes were fading. She smiled weakly at him and he felt his cheeks flush.

"You're an obsessively observant person, Sho," she said quietly. In the stillness of the parlor her soft voice didn't carry far. She laid herself back down and held the sheets at her chest, regarding him with a sleepy stare. "Were your eyes always so eager-looking?"

Sho smiled to himself. "I'd say so. At the Academy in Idris I would get into trouble from time-to-time because of my need to experiment. It usually resulted in flame-related accidents; I guess I have always found things to keep myself occupied. The result of growing up as an orphan mostly, I'm afraid."

Even as he said it, he remembered that his mother was not quite dead. He swallowed and frowned, looking at his hands in his lap.

Filly looked at him sorrowfully. "You shouldn't have had to find out that way. It's a terrible thing she did to you, revealing herself like that." She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm.

"I'm sorry Sho, for what it's worth. I can't fathom what you're feeling but I can understand what it's like to find out a horrible truth about your parentage. You are akin to all warlocks in that way now."

She squeezed his arm lightly and he felt compelled to place his hand on hers. Filly didn't have the hardened calluses and deep grooves of Sho's battle trained hands. Her hand felt soft and cool under his and he stroked the skin lightly with his thumb. They sat like that for a long time, both looking at their hands lit by moonlight and taking comfort in each other's presence.

"How did you find out? About your parentage I mean?" Then, quickly doubting himself, Sho added "You don't have to answer of course. That's kind of a personal thing to ask a warlock."

Filly smiled and turned over her hand so that she could hold his properly. Sho didn't think he had ever held hands with someone like that before, but surprisingly wasn't flustered by it. He held her hand back in a gentle grasp.

"It's fine to ask, Shoji. As I said, you are like us now."

Filly took a deep breath and twisted her body to face him. "I actually found out who my father is. Well, I summoned many abhorred demons to question them about who my father may be. Not every warlock is interested in knowing what demon was responsible for knocking up their human mother. It took centuries to get enough information to piece it together."

She paused and furrowed her brow.

"I was not always...a good warlock. Not that there typically tend to be sides, but I was more interested in the darker parts of my parentage for a long time. A lot of that had to do with feelings of shame and guilt about my birth; many warlocks would tell you the same. When I discovered who my father was it took a long time and a lot of work to become the Child of Lilith you see before you. But I had friends that helped me, and Arisa was always so patient with me…"

She looked at him with a deep expression. He thought he could see a wealth of history in her eyes like the story would unfold in the space just behind the glossy veneer. He felt a pull towards her in that moment that scared him, but at the same time brought him unfamiliar ease. Their hands turned and twisted until interlaced. Sho's head was bent low and the ends his unbrushed hair tickled the tops of their fingers.

" _I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape,_ " Sho said in a whisper.

Filly smiled. "You quote Dickens, I'm forever impressed."

"It's framed on the wall in my room back home. It seemed appropriate for a Shadowhunter." He returned her attentive gaze. "So, you never did summon your father? You've never spoken to him?"

Her smile fell and she looked down at their interlocking fingers. "I never did summon him, no. But I did come close once, a long, long time ago now..."

She paused and pulled her hand away gently. Sho felt the warmth of her palm leave and ached for it to return. But the air had changed and Filly was laying back again, her horns pressing into the pillow. She stared up at the ceiling with an unreadable expression on her face.

"How is Arisa?" she whispered without looking at him.

Sho felt nauseous at the thought. "She's better. Well, her injuries are gone anyway. The burns healed quickly during the day while she slept. I tried to speak with her earlier, but…"

He inhaled sharply and looked up, staring out the window to the moon that shone overhead. The words to recount Arisa's emotional state seemed lost to him. He only remembered her voice in his head, shouting out at him from under the sheets of her bed.

" _Get out! Leave me! GO!_ "

He could still hear the echo of her bedroom door clicking shut behind him in the hall. The despair in her lament was heavy and penetrating. He felt it falling deep inside him like a coins sinking in water. He blamed himself for not understanding the situation sooner, as Damyun had. He could have saved Arisa from seeing the worst of it but failed her, and now he was certain the three of them would never be able to forget the chard, contorted faces of the fledglings as they fell to the ground.

"She hasn't come to see me, not once since she retired to our room. I'm almost afraid to see her," Filly spoke sadly. "What do I say? This is really unlike anything we have experienced before."

She sighed heavily and placed the back of her hand on her eyes. Sho saw the corners of her mouth turned down. He didn't know what to say. He had never had to comfort someone like this before, not while he was also hurting.

"It's all so barbaric. To sacrifice so many, whether their souls be damned or not it's-" Filly halted mid-sentence.

Sho looked at her puzzled and then startled as she shot up in bed, her hands gripping tightly to the sheets. Sho stood and looked her up and down, expecting to see some sign of pain or injury. Her eyes were wide and fearful, darting back and forth as if reading something quickly.

"What is it Filly? What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

She turned to him. "I know what your mother plans to do. She may have even accomplished it already." Her eyes looked through him, deep in thought. He knelt at the bedside and took her clenched fists in his hands, desperate in equal parts to comfort her and to know what she meant.

"What has she done?"

Filly turned to face him, their eyes locking in a gaze.

"She's opened a portal," she said breathlessly. "She's going to summon a Greater Demon."


	17. Chapter 17 - Pages Laid Before Us

Shoji and the Field of Memories

CHAPTER 17 - Pages Laid Before Us

(The Bangkok Institute, Thailand)

* * *

The Bangkok Institute was buzzing with fervor.

There were Shadowhunters in every room now and more servants and staff had been brought in to accommodate the newfound capacity. Sizable white tents had been erected outside in the gardens to shelter the Downworld parties that had arrived.

The Council from Idris, including Consul Liam and Inquisitor Hearthstone were present, as well as Tanya and the UnSeelie Court representative, whom Sho now knew as Irino.

Irino was a lot like his fellow Seelie Court representative. He wore brilliant colors and his hair was set high on his head, enhancing his shorter stature. He had a sly, knowing smile on his face at all times and had a flourish to his movements that made it seem like he simply floated from one room to the next.

Sho had watched from the foyer balcony as Eric and his wife had been reunited. Eric had kissed Tanya fiercely and held her tightly in his arms as she buried her face in his shoulder. Then Damyun and Bella had come out, hand in hand, to greet them.

It seemed the looming threat that bound them all together was having a particular effect on social decorum. The general steely expressions of the Shadowhunters were replaced with open excitement for the coming battle. At least, that could have been said for the newcomers. For those in Sho's group, and the Bangkok Shadowhunters, there was only a foreboding and uneasiness that permeated the preparations.

Sho shared uncomfortable glances with Damyun because they couldn't bring themselves to talk about that morning in the field. Eric spent all hours with Tanya coordinating the efforts of the Praetor Lupus and even Kevin had been conscripted to help Min Hee organize the Clave Shadowhunters. Shakara had finally woken in her usual high spirits despite the situation at hand, and was with Irino and the other faerie warriors running mock battles with the Praetor.

Towards the start of all these events, the newly organized Special Counsel had gathered in a tent outside to discuss the situation at hand, as well as their next moves. A long teak table had been brought in to accommodate the growing inner circle of the operation.

"I remembered a text that described using demonic energies to tear a rift between our world and another," Filly was explaining. She was standing behind her seat, holding her hand to her mouth in thought as she spoke. The rest of the group was scattered throughout the room, the formality of the meeting cast aside for an atmosphere more relatable to a war counsel.

"The spell mentioned _victimam sacrificium_ , or a great sacrifice that would result in the opening of a disastrous gate. I had assumed that the _victimam_ meant demons because you'd need an incredible amount of demonic energy to open that kind of portal. But as those demons would need to be here, in our realm, it seemed almost impossible. I always thought it was more of a theory, since the Nephelim work tirelessly to make sure we don't have an abundance of demons running around."

Sho stood against the wall of the tent with Kevin; both had their arms folded across their chests. It took a considerable amount of goading on Kevin's part to get Sho into the meeting against the Clave's wishes. It turned out his connection to Thisula didn't sit well with the higher ups, including Liam.

Sho was watching Arisa, who sat quietly in a defeated posture at the end of the table. Her long raven hair was covering most of her face but underneath Sho could see her skin was tinted a light blue and her eyes were almost black. She had refused to feed since they had returned days ago and the effects were showing.

Sho looked to Filly who was also staring at Arisa from the corner of her eye. The warlock looked composed, but Sho knew it was tearing her apart inside to see Arisa like this.

"So, what makes this a reasonable theory now?"

It was Inquisitor Hearthstone who spoke up, placing her hands on the back of her own chair. Her white blonde hair was pulled taught in a low ponytail and her clothing was dark and tailored like Liam's, and like Liam her tone was authoritative and terse.

Filly purposefully didn't look at Arisa as she spoke. "I have spoken with Brother Alexander and the Seelie Queen and they agreed that the text could be read another way. It could be referring to _nex sacrificium_. 'Nex' can be used to describe "the blood of the slain". Like a second death? Or to put simply in this case, the demonic energy is coming from the damned souls of the fledgling vampires. And since they are here in our realm, their energy was collected in the convergence and widened the rift."

"So, she's done it then? Thisula has opened the portal we feared of," Liam said in a measured temper. As Consul he especially wouldn't let emotion get the best of him, though Sho could guess he was pretty angry under that composed brow.

"It would seem so, yes," Filly replied somberly.

"So we should be expecting a Greater Demon?" Tanya asked from her seat. She had a collection of letters and notes scattered on the heavy wood table and a pencil holding her hair back behind her ear.

Filly looked to the faeries. "It seems the most logical assumption. And the safest bet if we are preparing to close this portal. The Seelie Queen, being one of the oldest immortals, has shared with me that she has felt a disturbing force far below in the Seelie Courts. The flora and fauna are unwell; the great underground seas are poisoned with too much salt. She said the last time this happened was just before an impressive Greater Demon walked on earth."

Shakara and Irino nodded, still grinning in their eerie, fairfolk way.

"I experienced the plagued earth around the convergence. The air smelled foul and it was increasingly difficult to command the magic of nature. It is as if the earth recoils from whatever demonic force is upon us," Shakara said in her high, spritely tone.

"There hasn't been any more unusual activity from the convergence, other than a concerning army of lesser demons that keep showing up," Min Hee stated. "It seems Filly's ward is still keeping out whatever is trying to get through. We still have time to prepare and organize our forces."

The room nodded in agreement but it was silent. A darkness hung over the space that drove everyone to contemplation.

"We have our work cut out for us. You up for this, brother?" Kevin whispered to Sho. He lacked the usual, unbridled enthusiasm he carried before a battle. Even he knew how dangerous this venture would be, for everyone involved. Sho nodded absentmindedly and thought about what was to come.

Filly's premonition of the Greater Demon meant there was much to research and prepare. There were a handful of possible Greater Demons that could be summoned, each with different strengths and abilities. And unlike other demons, Greater Demons of that degree couldn't be so easily contained once they were summoned.

The Silent Brothers had taken it upon themselves to try and gauge the threat levels of each Greater Demon and the likeliness of which would come forth. They rolled out ancient texts kept in secret archives and argued with Liam and the Clave about their findings. Sho heard Brother Alexander sharing conjectures over the many meetings that were held throughout the week, but was never truly listening.

Knowing Thisula was behind it all had led Sho to work on uncovering the motives behind her betrayal to the Shadowhunters. He knew from records ascertained from the Clave that she was banished shortly after he was born for breaking Clave law. Her runes at been striped, known to be a painful and drawn out process, her right to be buried in the City of Bones had been denied to her, and her friends ordered to never offer her aid.

She had fled to Thailand upon leaving Idris and that was the last anyone had heard from her.

Sho had asked Liam (not so patiently he recalled) to give him any documents or information that would fill the gaps in his mother's story. Liam said that he would, but didn't seem as concerned as he was with the demonic rift.

As the days passed, Sho's requests were met with excuses or ignored completely. He tried to talk with his parabatai about it, but as sympathetic as Kevin was, his mind was elsewhere.

Sho wished he could talk with Arisa but she remained in her room throughout the day and night. She wouldn't allow anyone to see her and had to be reminded to eat. Everyone had tried to talk with her, Damyun being the only one who had been allowed in for a few short minutes. When Sho confronted him about Arisa's condition he simply nodded once without a word.

Sho imagined that was the best he was going to get and resigned himself sitting outside her room at times, after slipping a few bags of warm blood under the door, wondering how it had all come to this and battling with the uneasy mystery of things to come.


End file.
